Springer Nature [academic journals on nature.com], Bone Marrow Transplantation, 6(43), p. 477-480, 2008
DOI: 10.1038/bmt.2008.353
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Graft failure after allogeneic blood or marrow transplantation, although generally uncommon, can be a devastating complication. This report includes the outcome of nine patients who received a salvage transplant for failure to engraft after one (n = 8) or 2 (n = 1) prior transplants. Eight patients received allografts from the original donor. All received fludarabine 30 mg/m2 i.v. and alemtuzumab 20 mg i.v. daily from days −6 to −2. Daily CYA was begun on day −2, and the allograft was infused on day 0. The therapy was well tolerated with low toxicity, and all nine patients engrafted, recovering neutrophils at a median of 12 days after transplant. Four patients died: two of relapse, one of a fungal infection in the setting of GVHD and one of multiple sclerosis. The combination of fludarabine and alemtuzumab is an effective and well-tolerated salvage conditioning regimen for patients who experience graft failure after blood or marrow transplants.