Aranesp® is a type of injectable medication called an erythropoiesis stimulating agent, which helps reduce the side effects caused by anemia, a condition wherein the body does not make enough red blood cells (RBC). This medication acts as a booster for the bone marrow, forcing it to create more red blood cells, thus decreasing the RBC deficit caused by anemia. This drug is most often prescribed to people with conditions that cause anemia or those whose treatments result in anemia, such as kidney disease and cancer. The drug is taken regularly until the condition, not the anemia, is treated or cured.
Conditions that can cause anemia include chronic kidney failure, which causes the kidneys to slow down and lose their abilities to process waste or release substances. When this happens, the kidneys can be prevented from releasing erythropoietin, a hormone that signals the production of red blood cells. This can lower the total amount of red blood cells bone marrow can produce. Aranesp® can help replace some of this hormone's function, allowing the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells, even if the kidneys are unable to function properly.
Anemia can also occur during chemotherapy, a treatment that eliminates cells in the body that divide quickly. This can help cure cancer because cancerous cells divide quickly, but it can also affect red blood cells, which also divide quickly. Aranesp® can lessen the side effects caused by anemia-induced chemotherapy, improving a cancer patient's quality of life.
Used regularly, Aranesp® has been shown to help people control anemia and feel better until their current conditions are cured. In some cases, such as with chronic kidney failure, this drug must be taken indefinitely because the actual condition can only be managed, not cured or treated. More side effects are likely to occur the longer a person uses it, some of which can be serious.
The most serious side effect is high blood pressure, which is caused by Aranesp®'s effect on RBC production. Although having optimal levels of red blood cells is good for reducing the effects of anemia, it can also increase pressure on the blood vessels, raising blood pressure. High blood pressure is very common in patients who use Aranesp®, but certain lifestyle measures, such as a low-fat diet and exercise, may reduce these effects. Still, these lifestyle measures may not be enough and a person's risk for heart attack or stroke may increase.