R 744 reaches milestone in anaemia management

The first continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (C.E.R.A), R 744 [Micera], is currently under development for the treatment of anaemia associated with renal impairment and cancer. Compared with more traditional erythropoietin agonists, R 744 has an extended dosing schedule of up to once every 4 weeks. For the first time, three similar phase III studies presented at the 43rd Congress of the European Renal Association and the European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA:EDTA) [Glasgow, Scotland; July 2006] showed that patients with renal failure undergoing dialysis who are treated with short-acting and frequently administered traditional erythropoietin agonists can be directly switched to R 744, whilst maintaining stable haemoglobin levels.