Effects of continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) in kidney transplant recipients

Erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs) are commonly used to treat anemia in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Since 2007, continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) has been one of the newest recombinant ESAs to treat anemia in dialysis and nondialysis patients with chronic kidney disease. The efficacy of CERA to manage anemia has not been extensively evaluated in KTRs. We evaluated safety, efficacy, and satisfaction among KTRs treated with CERA. We enrolled 19 anemic KTRs (60 ± 9.3 y) who were treated with short-acting ESA for 13 g/dL. No significant differences were observed in serum iron and creatinine between short-acting ESA and CERA throughout the study. The questionnaires showed better compliance to CERA treatment with reduced pain at the injection site, which led subjects to prefer CERA to short-acting ESA. In summary, CERA showed better control of anemia compared with short-acting ESA. It was preferred by the majority of patients, mainly because of the reduced number of monthly injections. Our results demonstrated CERA to be effective, safe, and well tolerated in the management of anemia in KTRs.