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EPO (Erythropoietin)

Erythropoietin · Epoetin · EPO

9.6 hours

Half-life

5–20 mcg

Typical dose

Recombinant erythropoietin that stimulates red blood cell production; used clinically and abused for endurance.

Key takeaways

FDA-approved for CKD, chemotherapy, and zidovudine-related anemia; decades of RCT evidence.
IV half-life is roughly 5–11 hours; SubQ absorbs slower with a longer apparent half-life.
Pushing hemoglobin too high causes hypertension and thrombosis, per the trial data and boxed warning.
WADA-prohibited; detected by gel-electrophoresis methods that separate recombinant from endogenous EPO.

🚧 Expanded guide coming soon. This compound has PK data and a source — a full overview, mechanism, and dosing guide is pending editorial review.

Reported dosing protocols

Protocols reported in research literature and clinic/community use — informational context, not a dosing recommendation.

Use case	Dose	Route	Frequency	Duration
CKD anemia (Epogen label)	50–100 IU/kg	IV or SubQ	3× weekly	Titrated to hemoglobin target
Chemotherapy-induced anemia (label)	150 IU/kg 3× weekly or 40,000 IU weekly	SubQ	3× weekly or once weekly	Until chemotherapy course ends
Endurance doping (reported)	20–50 IU/kg	SubQ	Every other day	3–6 weeks

Pharmacokinetic summary

Model tier: Simple (t½ + F, Tmax estimated)
Half-life: 9.6 hours
Bioavailability: 30%
Typical dose: 0.005–0.02 mg

Frequently asked questions

Is EPO a peptide or a steroid?

It's a 165-amino-acid glycoprotein hormone, not a steroid. Your kidneys make it naturally in response to low oxygen, and recombinant versions have been prescription drugs since 1989.

Why is EPO dangerous outside medical use?

More red cells mean thicker blood. Without monitoring, hematocrit can climb into a range where hypertension, stroke, and cardiac events become likely. Several elite cyclists died in the early 1990s in circumstances linked to EPO-fueled hyperviscosity.

How is EPO detected in sport?

Labs separate recombinant from endogenous EPO by their different glycosylation patterns using isoelectric focusing and sarcosyl gel electrophoresis (WADA TD2024EPO). The window depends on dose, route, and epoetin type.

References

WADA TD2024EPO — Recombinant EPO; half-life ~5–11 h (IV). WADA-prohibited; detected via PAGE methods.
Epogen (epoetin alfa) FDA prescribing information, 2018 — Label indications, dosing, and the boxed warning on cardiovascular risk.
Halstenson et al., Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2001 — epoetin alfa PK/PD — Pharmacokinetics of once-weekly and thrice-weekly epoetin alfa dosing.
WADA technical documents index — TD2024EPO and related documents defining recombinant-EPO detection.

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