Efficacy and Safety Study of GerEPO

270 patients on Hemodialysis from 25 participating sites who meet inclusion/exclusion criteria will be enrolled into the trial. At the end of the comparative trial, subjects on either arm of the study may opt to enter a longer term cohort study designed to establish the longer-term safety profile of GerEpo, with special regards for the occurrence of Pure Red Cell Aplasia (PRCA) and other immunogenicity related adverse event.

This second part of the study is also opened to all subjects who have given written informed consent, and have ESRF with CRF related anemia who according to current guideline should be treated with Epoetin. Subjects need not be included in the first part of the study.

All patients shall be treated with GerEpo and thereafter observed for at least 1 year to actively monitor for the occurrence of PRCA and other immunogenicity related adverse events. The cohort study shall continue until at least 10,000 patient-years of observation have accrued on the study database.

Inclusion criteria

• Written informed consent obtained.
• Patients age between 18 and 70 years.
• Patients who are medically stable on hemodialysis for a minimum of 3 months.
• Patients on Eprex® treatment for CRF related anemia and maintaining Hb level at or above 9 g/dL(90g/L) while on a stable dose (no change in dose) of Epoetin within 6 weeks preceding the screening phase of this study.
• Patients who have a serum ferritin level greater than 100μg/L and/or transferrin saturation at least 20% within 3 months preceding the screening phase of this study.

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnant or nursing woman, or women of childbearing potential without an effective method of birth control. Effective birth control methods are oral contraception, Norplant, surgical sterilization, IUD or diaphragms in conjunction with spermicidal foam and condom on the male partner.
• Participation in any drug trial in which the patient received an Epoetin investigational drug within 30 days preceding the screening phase of this study.
• Those persons directly involved in the conduct of the study.
• Poorly controlled hypertension with diastolic blood pressures persistently greater than 110 mmHg at baseline observation.
• History of seizure disorder.
• Active acute or chronic infection or inflammatory disease.
• Any illness that had required hospitalization within the last one month.
• Had blood transfusion within the last three months.
• Significant hematologic abnormalities (Evidence of hemolysis by laboratory tests, unexplained acquired microcytosis, thrombocytosis (>500,000/mm3))
• Severe hyperparathyroidism
• Diagnosed to have malignant tumor or who have residual tumor after anti-cancer therapy.