Epoetin beta ( rINN) is a synthetic, recombinant form of

erythropoietin Erythropoietin (; EPO), also known as erythropoetin, haematopoietin, or haemopoietin, is a glycoprotein cytokine secreted mainly by the kidneys in response to cellular hypoxia; it stimulates red blood cell production ( erythropoiesis) in th ...

, a protein that promotes the production of

red blood cells Red blood cells (RBCs), also referred to as red cells, red blood corpuscles (in humans or other animals not having nucleus in red blood cells), haematids, erythroid cells or erythrocytes (from Greek ''erythros'' for "red" and ''kytos'' for "hol ...

. It is an

erythropoiesis-stimulating agent Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) are medications which stimulate the bone marrow to make red blood cells. They are used to treat anemia due to end stage kidney disease, chemotherapy, major surgery, or certain treatments in HIV/AIDS. In ...

(ESA) that is used to treat

anemia Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, t ...

, commonly associated with

chronic kidney failure Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a type of kidney disease in which a gradual loss of kidney function occurs over a period of months to years. Initially generally no symptoms are seen, but later symptoms may include leg swelling, feeling tired, v ...

and cancer

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemother ...

. Epoetin beta is sold under the brand name NeoRecormon, among others.Amgen - Products. URL
http://www.amgen.com/patients/prca.html
. Accessed 21 October 2007. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.

Chemistry

Epoetin beta is a recombinant form of human erythropoietin which is produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells. It has the same protein sequence as natural human erythropoietin, being composed of 165

amino acids Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha am ...

with about 30 KDa

molecular weight A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and bio ...

. Medsafe
NeoRecormon Datasheet
/ref>

History

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone produced in the kidneys. The existence of this hormone has been known since 1906, when scientists first started isolating it, and since the 1980s, a recombinant version of the hormone has been available for use in medical treatment.

References

External links

* Antianemic preparations Growth factors Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents Hoffmann-La Roche brands {{blood-drug-stub

Chemistry

History

See also

References

Further reading

External links