In normal physiological conditions Erythropoietin is produced in the kidney and stimulates the division and differentiation of committed erythroid progenitors in the bone marrow. rHu-EPO is a glycoprotein which stimulates red blood cell production. Epoetin alfa, a 165 amino acid glycoprotein manufactured by recombinant DNA technology, has the same biological effects as endogenous rHu-EPO.