The extension study enrolled 93 patients, of which 32 were treated with Fosrenol for up to six years. The study revealed that as patients continued with the therapy, the number of drug-related adverse events did not increase in frequency as drug exposure increased.
The most common treatment-related adverse events were gastrointestinal in nature and no new or unexpected adverse events occurred during long-term treatment with the drug.
Importantly, Fosrenol-treated patients in the study also maintained reduced serum phosphorus and calcium-phosphorus product levels, demonstrating the long-term effectiveness of the treatment.
“With a robust long-term safety profile, end-stage renal disease patients and physicians can rely on Fosrenol to help manage hyperphosphatemia and meet K/DOQI (kidney disease outcomes quality initiative) guidelines,” said Dr Alastair Hutchison, one of the trial’s lead investigators from the Manchester Institute of Nephrology & Transplantation, Manchester, UK.