Conditions: Anemia
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 572
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This study will assess the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous (sc) Mircera given as maintenance treatment for renal anemia in chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis who were previously receiving sc epoetin. The anticipated time on study treatment is 1-2 years and the target sample size is 100-500 individuals.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: Eligible participants received RO0503821 (Mircera \[methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta\]) subcutaneously, once every two weeks for 52 weeks. Participants received a starting dose of RO0503821 60, 100, or 180 microgram (mcg) which was based on the epoetin dose of\<8000, 8000-16000, or \>16000 international units (IU)/week, administered during the week preceding the switch to the study drug. arm 2: Eligible participants received RO0503821 subcutaneously, once every four weeks for 52 weeks. Participants received a starting dose of RO0503821 120, 200, or 360 mcg which was based on the epoetin dose of\<8000, 8000-16000, or \>16000 IU/week administered during the week preceding the switch to the study drug. arm 3: Eligible participants received their ongoing weekly subcutaneous dose of epoetin alfa or beta one, two or three times weekly for 52 weeks .

Interventions: intervention 1: epoetin alfa or beta intervention 2: methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta (Mircera) intervention 3: methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta (Mircera)
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: iv 3 times weekly, as prescribed intervention 2: 60, 100 or 180 micrograms sc (starting dose) every 2 weeks intervention 3: 60, 100 or 180 micrograms sc (starting dose) every 4 weeks

Protocol document: