Eprex

Eprex Mechanism of Action

epoetin alfa

Manufacturer:

Janssen-Cilag

Distributor:

DKSH
Full Prescribing Info
Action
Pharmacology: Erythropoietin is an endogenous glycoprotein hormone that regulates red blood cell production. Its production primarily occurs in and is regulated by the kidney in response to changes in tissue oxygenation.
Recombinant-human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) stimulates the proliferation, maturation and differentiation of erythroid precursors in the bone marrow in a manner identical to that of endogenous human erythropoietin. R-HuEPO has been shown to stimulate erythropoiesis in normal volunteers, chronic renal failure (CRF) patients and in HIV-infected patients with endogenous erythropoietin levels <500 mU/mL by IV and SC administration with the erythropoietic response being dose-related.
Pharmacokinetics: Measurement of r-HuEPO following IV administration revealed a half-life of approximately 4 hrs in normal volunteers and a somewhat more prolonged half-life in renal failure patients (7-8 hrs).
After SC dosing with r-HuEPO in normal volunteers, peak serum levels are achieved 5-24 hrs after dosing and decline slowly thereafter. The area under the curve (AUC) after single SC dosing is approximately 15% of the AUC after IV dosing. Despite the pharmacokinetic differences between IV and SC administration of r-HuEPO, information available to date suggests that the effect of exogenous hormone on hematologic parameters is not significantly different between the 2 routes of administration.
No r-HuEPO-binding antibodies have been detected in >1000 patients treated.
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