Desidustat in anaemia in patients with chronic kidney disease: a profile of its use

Desidustat (Oxemia^™), a hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, is a promising new oral alternative to injectable erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) for the treatment of anaemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Desidustat is approved in India for adults with CKD who are either not on dialysis or on dialysis. It is administered orally three times a week and dosage should be individualised based on the haemoglobin response of the patient. In clinical trials in patients with non-dialysis-dependent and dialysis-dependent CKD, desidustat was non-inferior to darbepoetin alfa and epoetin alfa, respectively, in increasing haemoglobin levels. Desidustat was generally well tolerated in clinical trials of up to 24 weeks and had a broadly similar tolerability and safety profile to darbepoetin alfa and epoetin alfa. The most common adverse events with desidustat were peripheral oedema in patients with non-dialysis-dependent CKD, and pyrexia, increased blood potassium, nausea and chills in patients with dialysis-dependent CKD.