A Safety Study of Pentoxifylline for the Treatment of Anemia

Treatment of the anemia of renal failure has been revolutionized by the use of erythropoietin and other ESAs (erythropoiesis-stimulating agent). Concerns with ESA use include a substantial number of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients with ESA-resistant anemia, and a growing body of evidence of potential negative effects of high doses of ESA use, including increased mortality and increased rate of tumor growth in cancer patients. There are only a couple of small studies in the literature examining the effects of pentoxifylline on anemia in patients with renal failure. The results are limited by the very small number of patients. There is clearly a need for a larger, prospective, clinical trial of pentoxifylline in ESRD patients, not limited to those with ESA-resistant anemia. This would be the first prospective, randomized clinical trial of this size to study pentoxifylline for the treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease.