The Emergence of Thrombopoietin Receptor Agonists as a Novel Treatment for Immune Thrombocytopenia

Two thrombopoietin receptor agonists, romiplostim and eltrombopag, have completed phase III trials in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia and were shown to successfully improve platelet counts. Due to their proven efficacy and favourable side-effect profile, they have been granted marketing authorisation for use in this condition in the US, the EU and other countries. This article focuses on these two agents, their pre-clinical...