Safety and Efficacy of Sustained Erythropoietin Therapy

Anemia, is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) resulting from insufficient production of the hormone erythropoietin by the damaged kidney leading to a decrease in red blood cells production by the bone marrow. Replacement therapy with recombinant human erythropoietin can effectively correct anemia in patients. However, despite the availability of recombinant human erythropoietin for more than a decade for use in CKD patients, two thirds of patients initiating dialysis have a hematocrit less than 30%, and three fourths have a hemoglobin (Hb) less than 11 g/dL the level recommended by the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative. Treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin typically involves subcutaneous (SC) administration at regular intervals followed by frequent laboratory tests to monitor hemoglobin concentration. There is a need to provide an significantly improved care in this area using a sustained therapy approach. EPODURE, is an autologous dermal biopump capable of sustained secretion of therapeutic EPO in the body, using a small tissue explant from the patient's own skin. The EPODURE biopump is harvested directly from the patient's dermis under local anesthetic. EPODURE Biopumps, produced by ex vivo transduction of MOs with Helper Dependent Adenoviral EPO vectors (HDAd-EPO), expresses and secretes EPO. The EPODURE Biopump is subsequently implanted subcutaneously back to the patient in order to provide continuous delivery of a known amount of EPO.