The clinical potential of novel erythropoiesis stimulating protein

Novel erythropoiesis stimulating protein (NESP) is a supersialyated analogu e of endogenous erythropoietin or recombinant human erythropoietin (rhuEPO) . It contains a total of five Winked consensus carbohydrate binding sites i n the native protein. NESP has a higher molecular weight due to an increase d content of carbohydrates, which, however, has no meaningful influence on the binding to and activation of the erythropoietin receptor. The major dif ference in comparison to rhuEPO is the up to threefold increase of the term inal half-life of NESP, which allows for less frequent dosing of NESR Sever al clinical studies have shown that NESP is as safe and efficient as rhuEPO in correcting renal anaemia and in the maintenance therapy of renal anaemi a.