epoetin zeta at a glance
Medicine class
Erythropoiesis-stimulating agent and recombinant human erythropoietin.
How it is given
Injection under the skin or into a vein, depending on the indication and clinical setting.
Important monitoring
Blood pressure, haemoglobin, treatment response and iron status require regular review.
Storage
Keep refrigerated and protected from light. Do not freeze or shake.
What is epoetin zeta used for?
Licensed uses represented by the selected product include:
Symptomatic anaemia associated with chronic renal failure in specified adults and children, including people receiving dialysis.
Anaemia in adults receiving chemotherapy for specified cancers when transfusion risk is present.
Increasing collection of a patient's own blood before selected major elective surgery.
Reducing exposure to donor blood in selected non-iron-deficient adults having major elective orthopaedic surgery.
Symptomatic anaemia in selected adults with lower-risk primary myelodysplastic syndromes and low endogenous erythropoietin.
How does epoetin zeta work?
Epoetin zeta binds to erythropoietin receptors on developing red-cell precursors in bone marrow. This supports their survival and multiplication, increasing red blood cells, haemoglobin and oxygen-carrying capacity.
epoetin zeta preparations and strengths
Injection
Route: Parenteral
Strengths: 1000 units/0.3 mL, 2000 units/0.6 mL, 3000 units/0.9 mL, 4000 units/0.4 mL, 5000 units/0.5 mL, 6000 units/0.6 mL, 8000 units/0.8 mL, 10000 units/1 mL, 20000 units/0.5 mL, 30000 units/0.75 mL, 40000 units/1 mL
How to take epoetin zeta
Use epoetin zeta exactly as instructed by the specialist team. It may be given intravenously or under the skin; self-injection should occur only after training.
Allow the syringe to reach room temperature before use.
Check that the liquid is clear and colourless, without particles, leaks or damage.
Do not shake, freeze or mix it with another injectable medicine.
For injection under the skin, rotate trained injection sites such as the thigh or abdomen away from the navel.
Use each syringe once and place it directly into an approved sharps container.
epoetin zeta side effects
Common or expected effects
- Diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting
- Fever or flu-like symptoms
- Headache
- Raised blood pressure
- Cough
- Rash
- Muscle, bone, joint or limb pain
- Injection-site redness, burning or pain
- Peripheral swelling
Get urgent medical advice
- A severe blistering or peeling skin reaction
- Severe allergic reaction with facial or throat swelling or breathing difficulty
- A blood clot, suggested by chest pain, breathlessness or a painful swollen leg
- Sudden severe headache, confusion or seizure associated with a hypertensive crisis
- Stroke or heart-attack symptoms
- Sudden worsening anaemia or loss of response, which may indicate pure red cell aplasia
epoetin zeta in pregnancy
Pregnancy information is limited. Treatment should only be considered after specialist or prescriber review when the expected benefit outweighs potential fetal risk. It is not recommended for pregnant surgical patients donating their own blood before surgery.
epoetin zeta while breastfeeding
It is unknown whether epoetin zeta enters human milk. Discuss the benefits of breastfeeding and treatment with the specialist or prescriber. Use is not recommended for breastfeeding surgical patients in an autologous blood-donation programme.
epoetin zeta interactions
Clinically relevant considerations include:
Ciclosporin
Rising red-cell volume can alter ciclosporin handling, so blood concentrations may need monitoring and treatment adjustment.
Medicines that suppress red-cell production
These may reduce the response to epoetin zeta.
Interferon with ribavirin
Rare antibody-mediated pure red cell aplasia has been reported when epoetins were used for hepatitis C-associated anaemia, an unlicensed use for epoetin zeta.
Common questions about epoetin zeta
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What is epoetin zeta used for?
It treats selected forms of symptomatic anaemia and may reduce transfusion requirements in chronic kidney disease, chemotherapy, lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes and certain surgical settings.
Is epoetin zeta a biosimilar?
Yes. It is a biological medicine shown to be highly similar to an authorised reference erythropoietin product, rather than a conventional chemical generic.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.