The invention discloses several novel therapeutic properties and methods oftreatment using the recombinant erythropoietin prepared by expression from theApa I restriction fragment of human genomic erythropoietin DNA transformedinto baby hamster kidney cells (BHK) according to U.S. Patent No. 5,688,697 toPowell. This recombinant erythropoietin designated herein as Epoetin Omega isshown to possesses several unexpected and superior qualities over otherrecombinant erythropoietins such as those designated Epoetin Alfa and Betawhich are prepared from genomic or cDNA expressed in Chinese Hamster Ovary(CHO) according to U.S. Patent Nos. 4,703,008 and 5,955,422 to Lin. Thesuperior properties of Epoetin Omega include, but are not limited to, a muchhigher potency, a much more rapid response (i.e. no latency), longer effectiveserum levels, much lower antigenicity in human subjects, therapeutic activityin subjects non-responsive to the other epoetins, fewer adverse side effectssuch as incidents of thrombosis, reduced nausea, reduced pain at the site ofinjection, reduction in body pain, and most significantly, the absence of, orreduced risk of, increased blood pressure or hypertension. These novelproperties provide for novel therapeutic methods including, treatment ofanemia and treatment of conditions other than anemia such as fatigue orvascular pain, treatment in patients adversely effected by hypertension suchas patients with heart conditions or at increased risk of thrombosis,treatment in oncology settings with and without chemotherapy or radiationtherapy, and treatment with novel dosing regiments that include much lowerdoses and lower administration frequencies of as few as once per week or less.
