CERA – What’s the fuss all about?

Have been doing some digging on this new drug and found the following bits of information it. So thought I’d share it with you:

CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator), developed by Swiss pharmaceutical giant F. Hoffman-La Roche, the drug is marketed under the brand name Micera. Soon available in Europe, the sale and distribution of Micera in the United States has been the subject of a long court battle between Roche and Amgen, the company that originally developed recombinant erythropoietin – originally marketed as EPOGEN – in the late 1980s.

Like synthetic erythropoietin (rEPO), CERA was developed to as a treatment for the anemia that results from chronic kidney disease. Unlike single injections of rEPO, CERA interacts with erythropoietin receptors and has a longer-lasting effect. Patients who were normally required to inject rEPO three times a week were able to achieve the same results with only one or two injections per month.According to some reports, CERA is connected to a chemical called polyethylene glycol (PEG), which allows it to last longer in the body.

I know this doesn’t sound like a lot right now, but it helps create a better picture of what we are dealing with. As soon as I find out more on it, I will share it with you.

~ by Craig on July 18, 2008.