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During the congress, E-Posters will be accessible to all participants on the congress website 24/7, as well as in the E-poster stations in the congress center.
Preparing your E-Poster
Please review the E-Poster format requirements carefully when preparing your E-Poster. Should your E-Poster not meet the mentioned requirements, it may not be displayed as described above.
E-Poster Submission Deadline
Please prepare and upload your E-Poster no later than March 14, 2026 11.59PM CET. After this date, you will no longer be able to prepare and upload your E-poster and it will not be displayed and accessible on the congress website.
Please follow the instructions below to input your abstract title.
Abstract titles should be brief and reflect the content of the abstract.
Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have revolutionised the management of anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, a subset of patients exhibits suboptimal or inadequate responses to ESA therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that combination therapy with ESAs and hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors (HIF-PHIs) may offer therapeutic benefit in addressing ESA-hyporesponsive anemia in the CKD population.
A total of 537 CKD patients receiving ESA therapy were screened to identify causes of hypo-responsiveness, defined as a failure to increase or a decline in haemoglobin levels despite stable ESA dosing. Among them, 83 patients met the criteria for ESA hypo-responsiveness. After excluding 28 patients with iron or vitamin B12 deficiency, 55 patients were enrolled in the study. These patients received Desidustat 100 mg thrice weekly in addition to ongoing ESA therapy. Haemoglobin levels were monitored monthly, and iron status was assessed periodically. Response was described as increase in Hb of >1 g/dl in 2 months. In patients achieving Hb >12 g/dl, desidustat dose frequency was reduced. Statistical analysis included paired comparisons, with p<0.05 considered significant
Fifty-five CKD patients (mean age 58.9 ± 14.4 years; 27 males, 28 females) on ESA therapy were initiated on Desidustat. Among them, 16 had diabetes mellitus and 52 had hypertension. Based on CKD staging, 45 patients were classified as stage V Dialysis, 4 as stage V-Non-Dialysis, 4 as stage IV, and 2 as stage III. During the study, 6 patients were lost to follow-up, 2 patients died, and 1 was non-compliant, leaving 46 patients for final evaluation.
At baseline, the mean hemoglobin (Hb) was 7.95 g/dL, which increased to 9.29 g/dL at one month (mean rise of +1.34 g/dL), with continued improvement noted at two months (+1.76 g/dL) and three months (+2.32 g/dL), p value = 0.041. A response to combination therapy was observed in 82.6% of patients, while 17.4% (n = 8) remained non-responsive. Ferritin levels declined from 952.18 ng/mL to 866.18 ng/mL, suggesting improved iron utilization, while transferrin saturation (TSAT) remained relatively stable (37.3% to 34.5%). No serious adverse events or treatment-related discontinuations; except in 2 patients where dose of anti-hypertensives was scrolled up.
Desidustat add-on therapy produced a statistically significant and sustained rise in Hb among CKD patients inadequately responding to ESAs, with corresponding improvement in iron utilization. The therapy was well tolerated and effective across dialysis and non-dialysis groups, underscoring Desidustat’s role as a valuable adjunct and potential maintenance option in CKD-related anemia.
