Akizawa T, Iwasaki M, Yamaguchi Y, et al. - Researchers assessed roxadustat’s (an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor) noninferiority to darbepoetin alfa for hemodialysis-dependent CKD anemia, via this phase 3, 24-week, double-blind, double-dummy study. The Japanese patients were randomized to oral roxadustat three times weekly or to darbepoetin alfa injections once weekly, titrating doses to maintain hemoglobin between 10–12 g/dl. The alteration of average hemoglobin from baseline to weeks 18–24 (∆Hb_18–24) was the primary endpoint. Findings revealed that hemoglobin was maintained within 10–12 g/dl by treating hemodialysis patients with roxadustat. Experts found that roxadustat was noninferior to darbepoetin alfa. The observed treatment-emergent adverse events were shown to be consistent with earlier reports. Nasopharyngitis, shunt stenosis, diarrhea, contusion, and vomiting were common treatment-emergent adverse events.