Induction therapy is a heterogeneous application of perioperative antibody therapy used in combination with a base immuno-suppressive regimen in solid-organ transplantation. Its use has been demonstrated to decrease the incidence of rejection, lengthen the time to a first rejection episode, decrease the incidence of early graft function, and improve short-term graft function. Whether the reduction in early graft loss due to decreased early rejection actually translates into an improvement in long-term graft survival and a relative state of hyporesponsiveness by the recipient toward the graft has been difficult to demonstrate clearly. The use of perioperative antibody therapy has been demonstrated to be particularly beneficial in high-risk groups such as children, blacks, sensitized and retransplant recipients, and those with early dysfunction. The use of antiviral agents concomitant with the induction therapy has decreased some of the disadvantages to its use. Although these agents are costly, some reports have noted that because of their advantages, antibody therapy may actually provide a cost advantage. “Humanized” chimeric antibodies have recently been demonstrated to have significantly fewer side effects. The use of induction therapy in solid organ transplantation will continue to be scrutinized, especially in the light of the availability of a host of newer, more efficacious base immunosuppressants.