Background: In patients with chronic renal failure, the ability to reduce the administration frequency of subcutaneous (SC) erythropoietin (epoetin) could provide benefits and may improve compliance. The study investigated whether once-weekly SC epoetin alfa was equivalent to twice- or thrice-weekly SC administration in maintaining anaemia correction in haemodialysis patients.
Methods: Eighty-three patients were randomly assigned to either once-weekly epoetin alfa (n = 44) or their original dose twice- or thrice-weekly regimen (control, n = 39) for 12 weeks. The haemoglobin concentration was maintained within the target range of 9.0-12.0 g/dL by adjusting the dose of epoetin alfa. All patients received intravenous iron supplementation, as required.
Results: Stable haemoglobin levels were maintained without epoetin dose increases in the majority of patients in both groups (once-weekly group, 95.0%, control group, 91.4%). The mean haemoglobin levels at randomization at weeks 4, 8 and 12 were 10.7, 11.1, 11.3 and 11.0 g/dL, respectively, in the once-weekly group, and 10.5, 11.3, 11.5 and 11.3 g/dL, respectively, in the control group. The mean weekly dose of epoetin alfa at randomization at weeks 4, 8 and 12 was 142.8, 114.5, 108.6 and 104.5 IU/kg, respectively, in the once-weekly group, and 128.4, 116.0, 101.0 and 96.1 IU/kg/week, respectively, in the control group. No statistically significant between-group differences were apparent for changes in haemoglobin levels or epoetin alfa dosages at week 12.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that once-weekly SC administration of epoetin alfa is as effective and safe as two or three times weekly administration in maintaining haemoglobin levels. Therefore, the once-weekly therapy using high dose of epoetin alfa is considered to be an efficient method in stable haemodialysis patients.