Epogen, Aranesp and Procrit are injections used for treatment of anemia in those on dialysis or chemotherapy. Serious and potentially life threatening side effects have been associated with the injections, which the manufacturers failed to adequately disclose.
Problems associated with the anemia treatment drugs include:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Blood Clots
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
- Rapid Growth of Pre-Exising Tumor
- Death
>>INFORMATION: Anemia treatment side effects
ANEMIA TREATMENT PROBLEMS
Anemia is common among patients with certain forms of kidney disease, those on dialysis and cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Aranesp therapy, Epogen therapy and Procrit therapy are designed to increase the number of red blood cells to a level necessary to avoid the need for a blood transfusion. However, because problems with the drug were not properly disclosed, many physicians prescribed high doses of the medication, which have been shown to increase the risk of serious injury.
The manufacturers failed to properly warn physicians and the medical community that the anemia treatment drugs should only be used to keep hemoglobin levels high enough to avoid the need for a transfusion, and should not be used as a cure for anemia. In March 2007, the FDA announced that they are requiring the makers of these injections to include a black box warning advising doctors to use the low est possible dose and to carefully review with patients the risks associated with the anemia treatment.
The combined sales for Aranesp, Epogen and Procrit in 2006 was approximately $10 billion and nearly one million Americans take one of the three anemia drugs. Many believe that the makers of the injections placed a desire for profits ahead of patient safety by failing to issue warnings earlier that the drugs should not be used at high doses.
