Anemia Due to CKD May See First-in-Class Drug This Year
August
1
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects almost 40 million people in the United States. The condition can cause a variety of health complications, including anemia. Treatments for anemia of CKD consist of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), the first of which the FDA approved in 1989. But a new kind of drug is poised to shake up the class, with the first expected approval potentially happening later this year.
When people’s kidneys are healthy, they produce erythropoietin, a product that prompts the bone marrow to make red blood cells. When the kidneys are damaged, their erythropoietin production goes down, causing a decline in red blood cells, which in turn causes anemia.
Meet Our Reporters
-
Angela Maas Managing Editor, RADAR on Specialty Pharmacy and Spotlight on Market Access
View Angela Maas's Profile -
Leslie Small Managing Editor, Health Plan Weekly and RADAR on Drug Benefits
View Leslie Small's Profile -
Lauren Flynn Kelly Managing Editor, RADAR on Medicare Advantage
View Lauren Flynn Kelly's Profile -
Peter Johnson Reporter, Health Plan Weekly and RADAR on Drug Benefits
View Peter Johnson's Profile -
Tim Casey Reporter, Health Plan Weekly and RADAR on Drug Benefits
View Tim Casey's Profile -
Carina Belles Reporter, RADAR on Medicare Advantage and Spotlight on Market Access
View Carina Belles's Profile -
Jinghong Chen Reporter, Health Plan Weekly and RADAR on Drug Benefits
View Jinghong Chen's Profile -
Jill Brown Kettler Executive Editor
View Jill Brown Kettler's Profile