Evrenzo tablets 50 mg for renal anemia (roxadustat)

General information on Japanese Evrenzo tablets 50 mg for renal anemia (roxadustat)

Package details: 30 tablets

Manufacturer: Astellas Pharma Inc., Japan

Active ingredient: roxadustat (chemical formula C19H16N2O5)

Medical effect: Evrenzo tablets are effective for the treatment of anemia attributable to renal diseases.

Contraindications and precautions: do not use for the following categories of patients:

• patients with a history of cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction or pulmonary embolism,
• patients with hypertension,
• pregnant or possibly pregnant women,
• breastfeeding women.

If an allergic reaction occurs, stop taking the medicine and consult with your doctor. If you’re taking any other medication or receiving any other treatment, you have to consult with your doctor before use.

Serum concentrations of hemoglobin should be checked periodically while taking this medicine. Also, the patient needs to take iron to get an adequate efficacy.

In order to avoid a possibility of pregnancy, female patients should use adequate contraception while taking this medicine and for a certain period of time after the last dose of this medicine.

As the lacteal transfer has been reported in animal experiments, female patients should avoid breastfeeding from the start to 28 days after the last dose of this medicine.

Dosage and administration of Evrenzo tablets 50 mg from Japan for renal anemia (roxadustat)

For patients untreated by erythropoiesis stimulating agent: for adults, start with 1 tablet (50 mg of roxadustat) at a time, 3 times a week, at intervals of 2 to 3 days (e.g. on Monday/Wednesday/Friday or on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday). Thereafter, the dosage may be adjusted by doctor in charge according to the condition of the patient. The maximum single dose is 3.0 mg/kg.

For patients switching from erythropoiesis stimulating agent: for adults, start with either 70 mg or 100 mg of the active ingredient at a time, 3 times a week, at intervals of 2 to 3 days (e.g. on Monday/Wednesday/Friday or on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday). Thereafter, the dosage may be adjusted by the doctor in charge according to the condition of the patient. The maximum single dose is 3.0 mg/kg.

Please note that this medicine contains 50 mg of the active ingredient in a tablet.

How effective are Evrenzo tablets 50 mg from Japan for renal anemia (roxadustat)?

Evrenzo tablets contain Roxadustat, a new inhibitor of HIF (hypoxia inducible factor), transcription factor that responds to decreases in available oxygen in the cellular environment. It works by activating HIF pathways and degrading HIF, by this, increasing endogenous production of erythropoietin, a glycoprotein cytokine secreted mainly by the kidney in response to cellular hypoxia. As the result, Evrenzo tablets stimulate red blood cell production (erythropoiesis) and production of hemoglobin, increase the increase the number of red blood cells and improve the symptoms of renal anemia.

Who should take Evrenzo tablets 50 mg from Japan?

At first, roxadustat was approved for using in patients undergoing dialysis, but since 2020 it was also approved in Japan for patients not receiving dialysis. Multiple studies showed that roxadustat leads to a numerically greater mean change in hemoglobin level, increases the transferrin level, decreases total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (T. Akizawa, M. Ueno et al. “Oral roxadustat three times weekly in ESA-naive and ESA-converted patients with anemia of chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis”. Therapeutic apheresis and dialysis, 2020, December, 24(6): 628-641). That’s why Evrenzo tablets are effective for the treatment of anemia attributable to renal diseases.