Darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp)

John Powell, RPh, BCOP, and Cheryle Gurk-Turner, RPh

From the Department of Pharmacy Services, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.

Corresponding author: John Powell, RPh, BCOP, Department of Pharmacy Services, Baylor University Medical Center, 3500 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75246 (e-mail: JohnP@BaylorHealth.edu).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp) for treatment of anemia associated with chronic renal failure in patients on dialysis and patients not on dialysis. The manufacturer of the drug also filed an application with the FDA on September 18, 2001, to receive an indication for treatment of anemia in patients with cancer (Robert Hunter, Amgen Medical Affairs, personal communication, January 31, 2002). During development, the compound was called novel erythropoiesis stimulating protein, or NESP. (BUMC Proceedings 2002;15:332-335)