Erythropoietin Beta

Adults: Erythropoietin Beta treatment should be started by a physician who has experience with the indications mentioned above. Anaphylactoid reactions have been seen in isolated cases, so the first dose should be given under medical supervision. Substitution by any other biological medicinal product needs the consent of the prescribing physician. The Erythropoietin Beta pre-filled syringe is ready for use. Inject only a solution that is clear or slightly opalescent, colourless and practically free of visible particles. The syringe is sterile but unpreserved, so never give more than one dose from a single syringe. Treatment of anemic patients with chronic renal failure: the solution can be given subcutaneously or intravenously. For intravenous use, inject it over approximately 2 minutes. In hemodialysis patients, for example, this can be done through the arteriovenous fistula at the end of dialysis. In non-hemodialysed patients, subcutaneous administration should always be preferred, to avoid puncture of peripheral veins. The recommended hemoglobin target is 10 to 12 g/dl. If the patient has hypertension, or existing cardiovascular, cerebrovascular or peripheral vascular diseases, the target hemoglobin should be decided individually. Hemoglobin should be checked at regular intervals (e.g. every two to four weeks) until it is stable, and periodically after that. Treatment with Erythropoietin Beta is divided into two stages. Correction phase Subcutaneous administration: the initial dosage is 3 x 20 IU/kg body weight per week. If the Hb increase is not adequate (Hb <1.5 g/L per week), the dosage may be raised every 4 weeks by 3 X 20 IU/kg body weight/week. The weekly dose can also be divided into daily doses. Intravenous administration: the initial dosage is 3 x 40 IU/kg per week. After 4 weeks it may be raised to 80 IU/kg three times per week, and then by further increments of 20 IU/kg three times per week if needed, at monthly intervals. For both routes, the maximum dose should not exceed 720 IU/kg per week.