Aranesp Lawyer, Procrit Attorney

Anemia Drugs Put Patients at Risk of Death

According to an article in the February 27th, 2008 edition of The New York Times, an advisory committee is being gathered by the Food and Drug Administration to decide if further restrictions are needed for several anemia drugs sold by Johnson & Johnson and Amgen. Studies show that the two drugs, Aranesp and Procrit, may raise the risk of death in cancer patients by around 10 percent. Amgen argues that they newest study, being featured in The Journal of the American Medical Association, does not contain any new or useful information. Amgen executives state that the study merely restates information that is already addressed on the label of the drug.

The FDA has previously asked Amgen and Johnson & Johnson to reevaluate their warning labels, proposing that excessive use of the drugs may actually worsen cancer patient’s conditions and even cause death. During the future meeting of the FDA committee, possible restrictions for the drugs may be decided. One option will be to restrict the use of the drug to certain types of cancer patients. Another option may be to delay the use of the drug until patients have become severely anemic in order to expose them to the drug as little as possible. The third option is to restrict the use of the drug to treat only patients suffering from anemia caused by kidney disease.

The newest study shows a 57 percent increase in blood clots in veins, however, this is not believed to be the cause for the high risk of death. Dr. Bennett, a professor at Northwestern University, believes that the drugs raise the level of the hormone erythropoietin, which stimulates the growth of tumors. Although these drugs have been in use for many years, scientists have recently changed their minds about the safety of the drugs. The FDA advisory committee will now be responsible for monitoring the dangerous side effects of these drugs and will ultimately decide the fate of the two medications.

If you have been treated with any of the drugs mentioned above, it is in your best interest to consult an attorney. For more information about your legal rights, contact the anemia drug lawyers of Williams Kherkher.