Oral Daprodustat for Anemia of Chronic Kidney Disease

Epoetin alfa (Epogen) and darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp) are injectable erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) used to manage anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are receiving dialysis. However, these agents are associated with excess risks for vascular events, tumor progression, and death, especially if a normal hemoglobin level is the treatment target. Hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors (HIF-PHIs) are novel oral agents being developed to manage CKD-associated anemia. These drugs increase endogenous secretion of erythropoietin and, in turn, production of red cells. In two industry-sponsored trials, researchers compared the efficacy and safety of daprodustat (an HIF-PHI not yet approved by the U.S. FDA…