darbepoetin alfa
View Patient InformationA recombinant analog of the endogenous cytokine erythropoietin, an erythropoiesis-stimulating protein. Due to the addition of two carbohydrate chains, darbepoetin alfa exhibits a three-fold greater half-life than does erythropoietin. Similar to erythropoietin, darbopoietin alfa binds to and activates epoetin receptors, thereby inducing the differentiation and maturation of erythrocyte progenitors, stimulating endothelial cell proliferation, and stimulating B-cell proliferation and immunoglobulin production.
| Synonym: | Novel Erythropoiesis Stimulating Protein |
|---|---|
| US brand name: | Aranesp |
| Foreign brand name: | Nespo |
| Abbreviation: | NESP |
| Code name: | KRN321 |