Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload
05:23

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload

Published on: March 14, 2017

Darbepoetin-alpha: a review of the literature

Debra K Overbay1, Harold J Manley

  • 1Dialysis Clinic, Inc., Kansas City, Missouri, USA.

Pharmacotherapy
|July 20, 2002
PubMed

Anemia is a chronic condition that affects many patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). These patients often require recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) to stimulate bone marrow to produce red blood cells. The agent often has to be administered 2-3 times/week for maximum efficacy A new product, darbepoetin-alpha, is a hyperglycosylated erythropoiesis-stimulating protein that has a longer terminal half-life than rHuEPO (25.3 vs 8.5 hrs), which allows for less frequent dosing. At an equivalent dosage as rHuEPO, darbepoetin-alpha maintains hemoglobin values within target range and has a similar adverse effect profile. It is safe and effective for treatment of anemia of CKD. Pharmacoeconomic and quality-of-life studies are warranted to determine the compound's overall benefit.

More Related Videos

A Point-of-Care Method with Integrated Decision Support Tool to Estimate Anemia at Population Level05:35

A Point-of-Care Method with Integrated Decision Support Tool to Estimate Anemia at Population Level

Published on: January 19, 2024

A Comprehensive Pipeline to Assess the Efficiency of Human Erythropoiesis In Vitro and Ex Vivo08:53

A Comprehensive Pipeline to Assess the Efficiency of Human Erythropoiesis In Vitro and Ex Vivo

Published on: January 10, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Erythropoiesis01:14

Erythropoiesis

Red blood cells  (RBCs) transport oxygen to all body tissues. These cells survive only for 120 days and then need to be replenished. Erythropoiesis is the process of RBC production. In healthy individuals, erythropoiesis ensures all tissues are amply supplied with oxygen. In addition, blood loss due to injury leads to a drop in the physiological oxygen level that will cause erythropoiesis. Any defect in erythropoiesis leads to several physiological disorders, including thalassemia, anemia, and...
Role of Hematopoietic Growth Factors01:28

Role of Hematopoietic Growth Factors

Hematopoietic growth factors are molecules that regulate the differentiation rate of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Erythropoietin (EPO), primarily produced by the kidneys, plays a crucial role in erythrocyte production. When oxygen levels in the blood are low, EPO is released into the bloodstream, reaching the bone marrow, where it stimulates HSCs to differentiate and mature into erythrocytes, which are vital for oxygen transport.
Thrombopoietin (TPO), mainly released by the liver,...
Factors Affecting Erythropoiesis01:24

Factors Affecting Erythropoiesis

The cardiovascular system regulates the number of erythrocytes in the bloodstream to ensure optimal oxygen transport. It also prevents over-proliferation of these cells, which helps to maintain blood viscosity and flow rate.
Several factors influence the erythrocyte production rate, with tissue oxygen level being among the most critical. Intense exercise or high altitudes can cause tissue hypoxia, which triggers the kidneys to release more erythropoietin (EPO) into the bloodstream.
EPO then...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Drug Dosing and Hepatic Blood Flow01:26

Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Drug Dosing and Hepatic Blood Flow

Chronic liver disease significantly impacts drug metabolism due to alterations in hepatic blood flow and enzyme accessibility. This disruption affects the body's pharmacokinetics—the movement and processing of drugs within the system. Key enzymes crucial for metabolizing medications become less accessible, changing how drugs are processed and utilized. Furthermore, liver disease influences the synthesis of plasma proteins, such as albumin and globulins, which play critical roles in drug binding...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test01:22

Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test

In clinical practice, the direct measurement of hepatic blood flow to evaluate liver function presents significant challenges due to the intricate and specialized nature of the necessary techniques. Consequently, healthcare professionals often rely on empirical estimates derived from thorough patient examinations and liver function tests to gauge liver health. Among the tools at their disposal, the Child–Pugh and MELD scoring systems stand out for their ability to categorize and assess the...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Dose Adjustments Due to Hepatic Impairment01:08

Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Dose Adjustments Due to Hepatic Impairment

Hepatic impairment, characterized by decreased liver function, does not uniformly mandate adjustments in drug dosage. Whether dosage modifications are necessary depends on various factors related to the drug's metabolism and elimination pathways. If a drug is primarily excreted via the kidneys and bypasses significant hepatic processing, if it undergoes minimal metabolic transformation in the liver, or if it is volatile and primarily expelled through the lungs, dose adjustments may not be...