Chan 2008.

Methods	Study design: parallel RCT Study duration: recruitment May 2004 to May 2005, with the last patient visit taking place in November 2005 Duration of follow‐up: 6 months
Participants	Setting: multicentre (18 centres) country: USA De novo kidney transplant patients Immediately post‐transplant Number: treatment group (49); control group (43) Mean age ± SD (years): treatment group (47 ± 11); control group (47 ± 10) Sex (M/F): treatment group (27/22); control group (30/13) Exclusion criteria: multiorgan transplant or an organ from an asystolic or expanded donor criteria donor; ABO‐incompatible or T‐cell crossmatch positive transplants; PRA > 50%; recipient or donor positive for HCV or HBV
Interventions	Treatment group Low‐dose TAC trough levels: 4 to 7 ng/mL (months 0 to 3), 3 to 6 ng/mL (months 4 to 6) Control group Standard‐dose TAC trough levels: 8 to 11 ng/mL (months 0 to 3), 7 to 10 ng/mL (months 4 to 6) Both groups Basiliximab induction EVL was initiated within 24 h of graft reperfusion at an initial dose of 1.5 mg/d, adjusted to maintain EVL trough level 3 ng/mL, a maximum trough level of 12 ng/mL was recommended TAC was initiated within 24 h of graft reperfusion Steroids
Outcomes	Kidney function at 6 months post‐transplant BPAR Graft loss
Notes	Funding source: The study was funded and supported by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Two authors were employees of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Study was described as randomised, method of randomisation was not reported
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Centrally generated sequential sealed treatment allocation cards
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Open‐label study
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Insufficient information to permit judgement
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	All patient data reported
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	Data were collected by investigators via a validated electronic system and transferred to an electronic database for analysis
Other bias	High risk	Funded by Novartis, USA