Once monthly administration of Darbepoetin alfa maintains haemoglobin levels in dialysis patients

A recent study suggests that once monthly dosing of darbepoetin alfa in clinically stable dialysis patients with chronic renal failure (CRF), resulted in effective maintenance of haemoglobin. This study was published in the journal of Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation.

This study was carried out among 54 patients, who received stable darbepoetin alfa therapy once every 2 weeks in a long-term treatment study. Out of these, 38 patients were converted to darbepoetin alfa administered once every 4 weeks for 20 weeks. Among these patients, 36 patients were considered evaluable; wherein 30 patients successfully maintained the target haemoglobin between 10.0 and 13.0 g/dl.

It was found that for successful patients the mean (SD) haemoglobin during evaluation was 11.16 (0.60) g/dl while the mean change in haemoglobin from baseline to evaluation was -0.26 g/dl. Also, the median change from baseline in average weekly darbepoetin alfa dose was 1.61 micro gram. 

Thus, it can be concluded that darbepoetin alfa, administered once monthly, may help to maintain haemoglobin effectively and safely in most dialysis patients stabilized previously on once every 2 weeks dosing. This may help optimize anaemia management for patients with CRF and also for health care providers.