Roxadustat: A New Oral Treatment for Anemia in Kidney Disease

A New Pill That Helps Treat Anemia in Kidney Disease

Many patients who have chronic kidney disease will develop anemia, which means their blood does not carry enough oxygen throughout the body. This can cause people feel very tired, weak, dizzy, and short of breath. Many current treatments require shots and frequent visits to a clinic, which can be stressful and inconvenient.

A new pill taken by mouth called roxadustat is offering a simpler option. Roxadustat helps the body make more red blood cells and helps the body use its iron better. This allows the blood to carry more oxygen, which helps patients feel stronger and less tired.

How the Study Was Done

A large scientific study included 2,781 people with chronic kidney disease who were not on dialysis and had low blood counts. Each participant in the study had anemia. Half of the patients took roxadustat pills three times a week. The other half took a placebo, which looked like a roxadustat pill but had no medication in it. Doctors adjusted the dose for each patient based on their blood test results. The patients were followed for up to one year.

What the Study Found

Patients who took roxadustat had much better improvement in their blood counts than people who took the placebo option. On average, their hemoglobin levels increased by 1.75 points, compared to only 0.62 points in the placebo group. This means the medicine helped their blood carry more oxygen. Roxadustat also greatly reduced the need for blood transfusions. Patients taking the medicine were 63 percent less likely to need a transfusion than those taking placebo. This is important because transfusions carry many risks and require hospital visits.

Safety of the Medicine

The study showed that roxadustat was about as safe as placebo. The most common side effects were kidney disease worsening, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and high blood pressure. These problems happened at similar rates in both groups, which means the medicine did not cause extra harm.

What This Means for Patients

This study shows that roxadustat is a potentially effective pill for treating anemia in people with kidney disease who are not on dialysis. It improves blood counts, lowers the need for transfusions, and does not add major safety risks. Because it is a pill, it may be easier and more comfortable than getting injections for patients.

Roxadustat gives people with kidney disease a new way to manage anemia and feel better without needing frequent shots or clinic visits.

Citation:

Fishbane S, El-Shahawy MA, Pecoits-Filho R, Van BP, Houser MT, Frison L, Little DJ, Guzman NJ, Pergola PE. Roxadustat for Treating Anemia in Patients with CKD Not on Dialysis: Results from a Randomized Phase 3 Study. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2021 Mar;32(3):737-755. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2020081150. Epub 2021 Feb 10. PMID: 33568383; PMCID: PMC7920165.

Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board