Novel erythropoiesis-stimulating protein: an erythropoietin analogue with an extended half-life and less frequent dosing.

Recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) is the gold standard for treatment of anemia related to chronic renal failure or cancer chemotherapy. However, because of its short half-life, r-HuEPO must be administered two to three times weekly in most patients. Novel erythropoiesis-stimulating protein (NESP) is a hyperglycosylated r-HuEPO analogue with a two- to threefold greater half-life, which permits administration once weekly or once every other week. Clinical trials in patients with chronic renal failure or insufficiency suggest that NESP is equivalent to r-HuEPO in terms of mean hemoglobin change, percentage of patients achieving target hemoglobin, and average time to reach target hemoglobin. The two compounds' adverse effect profiles appear to be similar. This apparent equivalence in efficacy and safety, together with the workload reductions stemming from its less frequent administration schedule, makes NESP an attractive r-HuEPO alternative. Once it is approved by the FDA, NESP's pricing may ultimately determine its use by dialysis units and reimbursement by health insurers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Formulary is the property of MJH Life Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)