Darbepoetin Treatment of Anemia in Children With Chronic Renal Failure

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a glycoprotein synthesized in the kidneys which regulates the rate of proliferation and differentiation of red blood cell precursors. The main cause of anemia in children with chronic renal failure is deficiency of EPO production as a result of declining renal function. Recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) is a synthetic erythropoietin that is structurally and functionally similar to naturally occuring EPO. Treatment of anemia using rHuEPO has been associated with an improvement in the quality of life for patients, likely attributable to an increased production in hemoglobin and a reduction of dilatation of the heart. Recently, an analogue of EPO with two extra oligosaccharide chins, darbepoetin alfa, has been described as having a more prolonged effect requiring less frequent dosing. There are currently no data available on the efficacy of darbepoetin alfa administered every 14-28 days for children. The most common dosing schedules in the clinical trial at HSC are every 7, 10, and 14 days. Due to reports of increased pain associated with the SC injection, and confusion of caregivers when the 10 day dosing schedule is necessary, the goals of the current proposal are to: 1) Decrease the frequency of SC injections and 2)Eliminate the 10 day dosing schedule for the administration of Darbepoetin.