Effectiveness of Darbepoetin alfa Administered Every 3 Weeks on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies and Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia.

Patients (pts) with cancer receiving chemotherapy commonly have chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA), often resulting in reduced quality of life. The primary objective of this analysis was to summarize the effectiveness of darbepoetin alfa (DA) administered at 300mcg every 3 weeks (Q3W), in achieving and maintaining a hemoglobin (Hb) target range of 11–13g/dL in pts with hematologic malignancies and CIA, versus pts with solid tumors and CIA. Data for all 1493 pts enrolled in this multicenter, open-label, 16-week study who received at least one dose of DA are included in this exploratory analysis stratified by tumor type. Pts ≥18 years of age receiving multicycle chemotherapy and with Hb <11g/dL were eligible for this study. Hb-based endpoints were adjusted for red blood cell transfusions and analyzed with and without imputing missing Hb values. Pt-reported outcomes were assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue (FACT-F) scale. Most pts were white (79%), 61% were female, and the median age was 64 years (range, 19 to 97). At baseline (BL), 31% of pts had Hb <10g/dL and 61% had Hb ≥10g/dL; the mean (SD) was 10.1 (0.7)g/dL. Hematologic malignancy (14%) was the third most common tumor type after breast (29%) and gastrointestinal (24%); 45% of the hematologic malignancies were non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) pts. Hb, transfusion, and FACT-F endpoints are shown in the table. A slightly lower percent of NHL pts achieved the Hb target range recommended by current guidelines (11–13g/dL), compared to pts with other hematologic malignancies or with solid tumors. Similar proportions of pts with hematologic malignancies or solid tumors maintained Hb within the target range. The proportion of pts receiving RBC transfusions from week 5 to the end of study (EOS) was similar for pts with hematologic malignancies and for pts with solid tumors. Improvements in FACT-F scores were seen in all groups, although the mean change was lower in NHL pts compared with other tumor types. Serious adverse events were as expected for this patient population. DA Q3W appears to be effective in achieving and maintaining Hb between 11 to 13g/dL in pts with CIA and hematologic malignancies. Since chemotherapy is often administered Q3W, synchronizing DA treatment with pts’ chemotherapy schedules may simplify the treatment of CIA in these pts.