Does Erythropoietin Improve Outcome in Very Preterm Infants?

Summary

The main goal of this trial is to investigate whether early administration of human erythropoietin (EPO) in very preterm infants improves neurodevelopmental outcome at 24 months corrected age. This study is designed as randomized, double-masked, placebo controlled multicenter study involving at least 420 patients.

Timeline

Start

2006-01

Primary completion

2012-12

Completion

2012-12

Publications

• Results Fauchere JC, Dame C, Vonthein R, Koller B, Arri S, Wolf M, Bucher HU. An approach to using recombinant erythropoietin for neuroprotection in very preterm infants. Pediatrics. 2008 Aug;122(2):375-82. doi: 10.1542/peds.2007-2591.
• Picotti E, Reinelt T, Koller B, Bucher HU, Ruegger CM, Fauchere JC, Natalucci G; Swiss EPO Neuroprotection Trial Group. Effect of Early High-Dose Recombinant Human Erythropoietin on Behavior and Quality of Life in Children Aged 5 Years Born Very Preterm: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Dec 1;5(12):e2245499. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.45499.
• Natalucci G, Latal B, Koller B, Ruegger C, Sick B, Held L, Bucher HU, Fauchere JC; Swiss EPO Neuroprotection Trial Group. Effect of Early Prophylactic High-Dose Recombinant Human Erythropoietin in Very Preterm Infants on Neurodevelopmental Outcome at 2 Years: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2016 May 17;315(19):2079-85. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.5504.
• Fauchere JC, Koller BM, Tschopp A, Dame C, Ruegger C, Bucher HU; Swiss Erythropoietin Neuroprotection Trial Group. Safety of Early High-Dose Recombinant Erythropoietin for Neuroprotection in Very Preterm Infants. J Pediatr. 2015 Jul;167(1):52-7.e1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2015.02.052. Epub 2015 Apr 8.
• O'Gorman RL, Bucher HU, Held U, Koller BM, Huppi PS, Hagmann CF; Swiss EPO Neuroprotection Trial Group. Tract-based spatial statistics to assess the neuroprotective effect of early erythropoietin on white matter development in preterm infants. Brain. 2015 Feb;138(Pt 2):388-97. doi: 10.1093/brain/awu363. Epub 2014 Dec 22.
• Leuchter RH, Gui L, Poncet A, Hagmann C, Lodygensky GA, Martin E, Koller B, Darque A, Bucher HU, Huppi PS. Association between early administration of high-dose erythropoietin in preterm infants and brain MRI abnormality at term-equivalent age. JAMA. 2014 Aug 27;312(8):817-24. doi: 10.1001/jama.2014.9645.
• Ruegger CM, Kraus A, Koller B, Natalucci G, Latal B, Waldesbuhl E, Fauchere JC, Held L, Bucher HU. Randomized controlled trials in very preterm infants: does inclusion in the study result in any long-term benefit? Neonatology. 2014;106(2):114-9. doi: 10.1159/000362784. Epub 2014 Jun 20.
• Dame C, Langer J, Koller BM, Fauchere JC, Bucher HU. Urinary erythropoietin concentrations after early short-term infusion of high-dose recombinant epo for neuroprotection in preterm neonates. Neonatology. 2012;102(3):172-7. doi: 10.1159/000339283. Epub 2012 Jul 4.

Drugs

Indications