Conditions: Anemia
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 228
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This 2 arm study will compare the efficacy and safety of Mircera and darbepoetin alfa in the treatment of anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease who are not on dialysis and who are receiving subcutaneous darbepoetin alfa maintenance therapy. Patients will be randomized either to remain on darbepoetin alfa therapy as per local label, or to switch to monthly subcutaneous Mircera, at a starting dose of 120, 200 or 360 micrograms, depending on the weekly dose of darbepoetin alfa administered prior to the first dose of Mircera. The anticipated time on study treatment is 3-12 months, and the target sample size is 100-500 individuals.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: Participants received Mircera by subcutaneous injection once every month during the dose titration (7 months) and evaluation period (2 months). The starting dose was based on the weekly dose of darbepoetin alfa administered prior to the switch to Mircera, and was either 120, 200 or 360 µg Mircera per month. The dose was then adjusted to maintain Hemoglobin levels within the defined target range and also according to the need for red blood cell transfusions (due to worsening anemia), or for toxicity related to Mircera. arm 2: Participants continued to receive the same dose of darbepoetin alfa as before screening by subcutaneous injection once every week, once every 2 weeks or once every month as per local labeling during the dose titration (7 months) and the evaluation period (2 months).

Interventions: intervention 1: Mircera intervention 2: Darbepoetin alfa
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Starting dose of 120, 200 and 360 micrograms administered by subcutaneous injection once a month. intervention 2: As prescribed, subcutaneous injection once every week, once every 2 weeks or once every month as per local labeling specifications.

Protocol document: