Roxadustat: Do we know all the answers?

Anemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and its prevalence rises as the disease progresses. Intravenous or subcutaneous erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are advised to treat CKD-associated anemia, since shortage of erythropoietin (EPO) and iron is the main cause of anemia. However, ESA resistance and safety have spurred a lot of interest in the development of alternate anemia therapies. Roxadustat, an orally administered hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor (HIF-PHI), which increases erythropoiesis and may modulate iron metabolism, was recently licensed in China, Chile, South Korea, Japan, and the European Union for the treatment of CKD-related anemia. Despite this, clinical trials have shown a number of adverse effects, including cardiovascular disease, hyperkalemia, and infections. Roxadustat’s potential effects on multiple organs and systems are also of concern. In this review, based on clinical evidence, we discuss the potentially detrimental effects of roxadustat to the known biology on systems other than kidney, and the need for long-term follow-up in order for roxadustat to be approved in more countries in the future.