Shire’s Fosrenol ‘can reduce dialysis tablet burden’

Shire has said its phosphate binder Fosrenol can further reduce phosphate levels in dialysis patients who were previously receiving other monotherapies or a combination of different phosphate binders.

Phosphate binders are taken to reduce the disk of hyperphosphataemia, which is when the body’s phosphate levels are too high, which can result in depleted calcium levels and damage to organ systems over a period of time.

In a study presented at the XLIII ERA-EDTA Congress in Glasgow, a study of 359 dialysis patients – 40 per cent of who were previously on combination phosphate binder therapies – were treated with Fosrenol.

After 12 weeks of Fosrenol as a monotherapy, average serum phosphate levels were reduced to1.84 mmol/L, compared to 1.99 mmol/L with previous phosphate binding therapies. Furthermore, a greater number of patients achieved the targets as set by the Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative.

Dr Alastair Hutchison from the Manchester Institute of Nephrology and Transplantation, one of the study’s lead investigators, remarked: “These study results add further weight to the extensive data package which demonstrates Fosrenol is an effective phosphate binder.”

“Fosrenol offers patients with hyperphosphataemia an effective treatment option which could simplify their management by reducing tablet burden to as little as one tablet taken during each meal,” he added.

Shire’s vice-president of global medical affairs, Dr Raymond Pratt, said the company is “very proud” of the drug and that Fosrenol had demonstrated a high level of patient satisfaction.

Fosrenol has already been approved in the US. European introduction of the drug will continue into 2007.

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