The mean darbepoetin alpha dose needed to keep Hb stable in patients previously treated with epoetin is significantly lower than the equimolar dose. Although the equimolar 1:200 conversion ratio is appropriate for lower epoetin doses (<5000 IU/week), the darbepoetin dose for patients converting from >or=5000 IU of epoetin per week is more likely to follow a 1:250 to 1:350 conversion rule. If pricing is based on the 1:200 rule such as in Switzerland, this may translate into cost savings.

The effect of long-term treatment with either enalapril or high dose verapamil on survival, proteinuria, blood pressure and renal morphology was studied in female Wistar rats with markedly reduced renal mass. Four weeks were allowed for remnant kidney hypertrophy before determining the response to renal ablation of individual animals regarding proteinuria and hypertension. At this time, five groups of 18 rats were formed with equal levels of proteinuria and hypertension. Groups E1 and E2 were treated with enalapril, groups V1 and V2 with verapamil, and one group served as control. The daily food allowance was 14 g/rat of a standard rat diet, containing 30% protein and 100 mmol NaCl/kg food in groups E1 and V1. NaCl content was reduced to 20 mmol/kg food in groups E2, V2 and control. The drugs were added to the drinking water, enalapril at a dose of 0.1 g/liter, verapamil at 0.5 to 0.7 g/liter. Drug intake thus amounted to 10 to 25 mg/kg for enalapril and 50 to 140 mg/kg for verapamil. Treatment was continued for 15 weeks. Three of the 18 control rats did not survive up to 15 weeks. Mortality was lower in the enalapril treated groups with a single nonsurvivor in group E1. In contrast, mortality was higher in the verapamil treated animals with seven nonsurvivors in group V1 and eight in group V2. Blood pressure control was excellent in both enalapril treated groups. and proteinuria decreased in most animals of group E1 and all of group 22. Glomerulosclerosis did not develop in the majority of the enalapril treated animals. Despite the high dose, verapamil barely lowered blood pressure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)