New anaemia drug shows promise
A new anaemia drug, CERA (continuous erythropoiesis receptor activator), shows sustained stimulation of red blood cell formation when given once every three weeks, to kidney dialysis patients with chronic renal anaemia. Data from the phase II study were reported at the American Society of Nephrology annual conference in San Diego last month.
The study included 61 dialysis patients who had not previously been treated
with epoetin. Results showed rapid and significant increases in haemoglobin
with subcutaneous CERA. After 12 weeks of treatment, 90 per cent of patients
treated with higher dose CERA showed haemoglobin increases > 1.0g/dL,
and 70 per cent responded with a lower dose. The drug was well tolerated.
CERA achieves sustained stimulation of erythropoiesis (red blood cell
formation) offering the practical advantage of less frequent dosing schedules
than current anaemia therapies. It has been postulated that its prolonged
activity is a result of its rapid, and repeated, binding and dissociation
from the receptor that triggers erythropoiesis, together with its extended
half-life.
Dr Iain Macdougall, consultant nephrologist, King’s College Hospital,
London, predicted that CERA could be used once a month in both pre-dialysis
and dialysis patients. “The main advantage with CERA is the requirement
for less frequent injections. For pre-dialysis patients, a once-monthly
injection would provide a considerable advantage.” |
