Aranesp, Other Anemia Drugs Linked to Increased Blood Clots in Cancer Patients
Using certain drugs to reduce the risks of anemia in cancer patients more than doubles the chances of developing potentially fatal blood clots in the lungs and legs, a new study finds.
Researchers from New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center said the risks of the drugs – called erythropoiesis-stimulating agents or ESAs for short – may outweigh their benefits for some patients, according to a Reuters news report.
ESAs work by stimulating bone marrow to produce more red blood cells in the body. They have been used in the U.S. since 1991 to avoid repeated blood transfusions in chemotherapy patients. However, studies of the drugs have found they do not reduce the numbers of transfusions, calling their continued use into question.
Aranesp, Others Linked to Blood Clots
Aranesp and Epogen by Amgen Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson’s Procrit are leading brands of ESAs. Sales of the drugs have dropped since 2006, when a study found they resulted in greater risks of death and cardiovascular complications in some patients.
The Food and Drug Administration has since 2007 required ESAs to carry stronger warnings about the blood clot risks and recommends using them only on a limited basis in patients with specific types of cancers and very low red blood counts.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is set early next year to consider approving use of the drugs in patients with chronic kidney disease, Reuters reports.
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And also, isn’t Amgen, the maker of Aranesp being sued for violating anti kick-back laws. The drug was HUGE in 2008. Hmmmm….
And also, isn’t Amgen, the maker of Aranesp being sued for violating anti kick-back laws? The drug was HUGE in 2008. Hmmmm….