>>My hunch is that AKBA stands a good chance arguing that it is epo depletion that they are targeting primarily and the improvement in iron homeostasis is a side benefit, and that they are not intending to use their drug for traditional iron deficiency anemia that you see so commonly in the real world
But consider the following granted US patent claim:
A method for treating anemia in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a heterocyclic carboxamide compound that stabilizes the alpha subunit of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF.alpha.), thereby increasing the percent transferrin saturation in the subject, wherein the subject is a subject having a percent transferrin saturation level below 20% prior to said administering.