Study Supports Biweekly Darbepoetin Dosing for Preterm Infants
May 07, 2025
Administering darbepoetin every two weeks may be as clinically effective as weekly dosing in preterm infants and may help reduce the need for blood transfusion in this patient population, according to findings published recently in the
Journal of Perinatology.
Darbepoetin is a long-acting erythropoiesis-stimulating agent that boosts red blood cell production and is frequently used to treat anemia of prematurity.
In the study, researchers from Intermountain Health and University of Utah Health evaluated darbepoetin dosing frequency to optimize health outcomes while minimizing the number of subcutaneous injections.
The research team enrolled 71 infants born at or before 32 weeks’ gestation to receive either weekly or biweekly darbepoetin doses. While weekly dosing resulted in a higher absolute reticulocyte count, the groups showed no significant differences in hemoglobin levels, iron status or transfusion-free survival.
According to the researchers, the findings support biweekly darbepoetin dosing as a potential alternative that could reduce the number of injections without compromising clinical outcomes.
“Transfusions can be done safely and can be lifesaving for preemies, but they do come with some risks,”
said Timothy Bahr, MD, a neonatologist with Intermountain Health and the study’s lead author. “If we can reduce the need for blood transfusions in preemies, we can also reduce their risk of complications that can occur after a blood transfusion.”
