Drug developers have studied pills like Jesduvroq and Vafseo as alternatives to injectable biologic drugs like Amgen’s Epogen in the hopes they would be safer and more convenient. Rather than mimicking a natural blood-boosting protein called erythropoietin as the biologics do, Jesduvroq and Vafseo trick the body into responding as if it were in a high-altitude environment by blocking a protein called HIF-PH. That, in turn, stimulates red blood cell production.
