Anemia

Rockwell Medical Inc., a company focused on developing treatments for kidney disease and anemia management, has appointed Russell H. Ellison, MD, MSc, as its new president and CEO, according to a company press release. Ellison will step into his new role “immediately,” while continuing to serve as a member of the company’s board.

Heart failure hospitalizations and eGFR decline are associated with anemic patients with chronic kidney disease, according to an abstract from the virtual National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings.

No clinically relevant changes were found with vadadustat pharmacokinetic exposure following co-administration of rabeprazole and vadadustat, according to a speaker at the virtual National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings.

Among modifiable risk factors, anemia, as measured by preoperative hematocrit level, contributed the most to mortality risk in patients with HF undergoing noncardiac surgery, according to a research letter published in JAMA Surgery.

Use of the oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor roxadustat helped reduce the need for red blood cell transfusions compared to placebo in patients with chronic kidney disease not on dialysis, studies show.

Inflammation inhibition through the interleukin-1 beta/interleukin-6 signaling pathway reduced incidence of anemia and improved hemoglobin levels among patients with anemia, according to results of an exploratory analysis of randomized trial data published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Luspatercept reduced the severity of anemia compared with placebo among certain patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes, according to results of a randomized phase 3 trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

There may be mortality, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular benefits from testosterone therapy among men with low testosterone due to opioid use, according to findings published in JAMA Network Open.

WASHINGTON — Survey results presented at ASN Kidney Week indicated that most patients with chronic kidney disease-related anemia experienced physical symptoms and decreased emotional well-being, but their understanding of the condition varied.

WASHINGTON — Compared to epoetin alfa, roxadustat was more effective in raising hemoglobin levels and used less iron therapy in incident patients with kidney disease on dialysis, according to results from U.S. and European studies presented here.