darbepoetin alfa

darbepoetin alfa is a recombinant human erythropoietin analogue used to stimulate erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production, in patients with anemia associated with chronic kidney disease and certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer, lung cancer, and lymphoma, treated with chemotherapy by National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society. It is marketed by Amgen under the trade name Aranesp and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency. The development of darbepoetin alfa involved collaboration between Amgen and Johnson & Johnson.

● Introduction

Darbepoetin alfa is a glycoprotein that is produced through recombinant DNA technology in a Chinese hamster ovary cell line by Biogen and Genentech. It has a similar structure and function to human erythropoietin, which is produced naturally by the kidney and plays a critical role in the production of red blood cells by bone marrow cells, including stem cells and progenitor cells, as studied by National Institutes of Health and World Health Organization. Darbepoetin alfa has been shown to be effective in increasing hemoglobin levels and reducing the need for blood transfusions in patients with anemia associated with chronic kidney disease and cancer, as demonstrated in clinical trials conducted by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

● Medical_uses

Darbepoetin alfa is used to treat anemia associated with chronic kidney disease in patients on dialysis or not on dialysis, as well as anemia associated with cancer chemotherapy by MD Anderson Cancer Center and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. It is also used to treat anemia in patients with HIV infection who are receiving zidovudine therapy, as recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. The use of darbepoetin alfa has been studied in various clinical trials, including the CREATE trial and the CHOIR trial, which were conducted by University of California, Los Angeles and University of Pennsylvania.

● Mechanism_of_action

Darbepoetin alfa works by binding to the erythropoietin receptor on the surface of erythroid progenitor cells in the bone marrow, stimulating the production of red blood cells by stem cells and progenitor cells, as described by Harvard University and Stanford University. This process is mediated by the activation of Janus kinase 2 and the subsequent phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5, as studied by University of California, San Francisco and Columbia University. The increased production of red blood cells leads to an increase in hemoglobin levels, which can help to alleviate the symptoms of anemia, such as fatigue and shortness of breath, as treated by Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic.

● Side_effects

The most common side effects of darbepoetin alfa include injection site reactions, fatigue, headache, and edema, as reported by MedlinePlus and RxList. More serious side effects can include thrombosis, stroke, and pure red cell aplasia, as warned by US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency. The risk of these side effects can be increased in patients with a history of thrombosis or stroke, as studied by American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.

● History

Darbepoetin alfa was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2001 for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease by National Kidney Foundation and American Society of Nephrology. It was later approved for the treatment of anemia associated with cancer chemotherapy in 2002, as recommended by National Comprehensive Cancer Network and American Society of Clinical Oncology. The development of darbepoetin alfa involved collaboration between Amgen and Johnson & Johnson, as well as research conducted by University of Oxford and University of Cambridge.

● Chemistry

Darbepoetin alfa is a recombinant human erythropoietin analogue with a molecular weight of approximately 37,000 daltons, as characterized by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and California Institute of Technology. It has a similar structure to human erythropoietin, but with two additional N-glycosylation sites, which increase its half-life and allow for less frequent dosing, as studied by University of California, Berkeley and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The chemical structure of darbepoetin alfa is composed of a polypeptide chain with 165 amino acid residues, as described by Pfizer and Merck & Co.. Category:Drugs