The efficacy of monthly administration of darbepoetin alfa in Saudi hemodialysis patients

✍ Scribed by Khalid Alsaran; Alaa Sabry; Mamdouh Abdulghafour; Mohammad Hji

• Book ID: 102141058
• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 344 KB
• Volume: 38
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0090-2934
• DOI: 10.1002/dat.20380

✦ Synopsis

BACKGROUND: Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents have improved the outcome and quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effi cacy and safety of conversion of hemodialysis patients from epoetin beta to darbepoetin alfa administered once a month.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

The study included 26 patients. Their mean age was 47.0 Ϯ 17.13 years with a mean hemodialysis duration of 55.8 Ϯ 14.0 months. The study was carried out in 2 consecutive phases of 12 weeks each. The mean initial dose of darbepoetin was 57 Ϯ 10.0 g biweekly. After maintaining target hemoglobin (Hgb) levels-(11-12 g/L)-with the biweekly injections, we shifted our patients to a once-monthly dose schedule.

RESULTS:

The mean weekly darbepoetin dose increased from 28.75 Ϯ 4.2 g during the biweekly phase to 38.5 Ϯ 3.9 g after switching to the monthly protocol (the mean conversion ratio changed from 309:1 to 256:1). The mean Hgb level was 10.81 Ϯ .86 g/L at the start of the study and 10.86 Ϯ .76 g/L at the end of 6 months. CONCLUSION: Our experience with darbepoetin alfa reveals that it is effective and safe for the treatment of anemia in hemodialysis patients even at monthly dose intervals.