Daprodustat in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients in Japan

Hidetoshi Kanai, MD, PhD, and colleagues reported results of a phase 3 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of daprodustat in an uncontrolled cohort of 56 patients in Japan on peritoneal dialysis with anemia [Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis. doi: 10.1111/1744‐9987.13686]. Daprodustat is a hypoxia-inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Study participants received daprodustat 4 mg orally once daily for 4 weeks. The dose was subsequently adjusted every 4 weeks. At baseline, mean hemoglobin was 10.9 g/dL (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.59-11.12). At week 12, mean hemoglobin reached the target range of 11.0 to 13.0 g/dL; target range was maintained until week 52. During weeks 40 to 52, mean hemoglobin was 12.1 g/dL (95% CI, 12.0-12.2).

The most frequent adverse events were nasopharyngitis (29%), catheter-site infection (18%), peritonitis (16%), diarrhea (14%), and nausea (11%). There were no reported deaths.

The researchers concluded, “Once daily oral daprodustat treatment was generally well tolerated and mean hemoglobin was achieved and maintained within the target range of Japanese peritoneal dialysis participants.”