There are only a couple of small studies in the literature examining the effects of pentoxifylline on anemia in patients with renal failure. The results are limited by the very small number of patients. There is clearly a need for a larger, prospective, clinical trial of pentoxifylline in ESRD patients, not limited to those with ESA-resistant anemia. This would be the first prospective, randomized clinical trial of this size to study pentoxifylline for the treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease.