CLASSIFICATION
Glycoprotein Cytokine
ACNE
No
WATER RETENTION
No
HBR
No
HEPATOTOXICITY
No
AROMATIZATION
No
MANUFACTURER
Amgen
WAREHOUSE
International Warehouse 2
SUBSTANCE
Erythropoietin
,
Darbepoetin alfa promotes erythropoiesis using a mechanism similar to that of endogenous erythropoietin. Unlike the endogenous hormone and recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO), which have three N-linked carbohydrate chains, darbepoetin alfa features five. The additional sugar residues present do not differ in their molecular structure from those of the endogenous hormone. This increased carbohydrate content results in a longer half-life for darbepoetin alfa compared to rhEPO, leading to enhanced in vivo activity. Despite these structural modifications, darbepoetin alfa maintains a highly specific affinity for the erythropoietin receptor.
Erythropoietin acts as a growth factor that primarily encourages the production of red blood cells. Erythropoietin receptors can also be found on the surfaces of various tumor cells.