A randomized controlled trial of darbepoetin alfa administered as a fixed or weight-based dose using a front-loading schedule in patients with anemia who have nonmyeloid malignancies

BACKGROUND. The effect of using fixed versus weight-based doses for erythropoietic agents has not been reported previously. To investigate this issue, the authors conducted a randomized Phase II study of darbepoetin alfa administered as either a fixed dose or a weight-based dose using an accelerated correction and maintenance dosing regimen (front-loading). METHODS. During the correction phase, patients with anemia (hemoglobin < 11.0 g/dL) who had nonmyeloid malignancies and who were receiving chemotherapy were given darbepoetin alfa at a fixed dose of 325mug (n = 122) or at a weight-based dose of 4.5 mug/kg (n = 120) once weekly until they achieved a hemoglobin concentration greater than or equal to 12.0 g/dL. Patients then received darbepoetin alfa (325 mug or 4.5 mug/kg) once every 3 weeks for the remainder of the 16-week treatment period (maintenance phase). RESULTS. Darbepoetin alfa resulted in high Kaplan-Meier rates of hematopoietic response (greater than or equal to 2 g/dL increase from the baseline level or a hemoglobin level greater than or equal to 12 g/dL) in both the fixed-dose group (86%; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 78-94%) and the weight-based dose group (84%; 95% CI, 76-92%). The median time to hematopoietic response was 34 days (95% CI, 28-44 days) for the fixed-dose group and 36 days (95% CI, 30-45 days) for the weight-based dose group. Hemoglobin concentrations were maintained at target levels for up to 16 weeks in both groups. Darbepoetin alfa was well tolerated, and no clinically significant differences between fixed doses and weight-based doses were observed. CONCLUSIONS. Darbepoetin alfa was effective when administered as either a fixed dose or a weight-based dose using a front-loading approach to rapidly correct anemia and effectively maintain hemoglobin levels in patients with anemia who had malignant disease. (C) 2004 American Cancer Society.