Healthy Skepticism Library item: 10188

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Publication type: Journal Article

Lenzer J.
US agency limits payments for anaemia drugs
BMJ 2007 May 26; 334:(7603):1079
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/334/7603/1079-c

Abstract:

The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a proposal to limit Medicare payments for anaemia drugs used to treat patients with cancer.

The proposal came on the heels of new warnings from the oncology drugs committee of the US Food and Drug Administration that the drugs, known as erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) are overused and could shorten patients’ lives.

The committee unanimously recommended new clinical trials of the drugs, including Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa) and Epogen (epoetin alfa), made by Amgen, and Procrit (epoetin alfa), made by Johnson and Johnson (BMJ 2007;334:1022, 19 May doi: 10.1136/bmj.39216.489780.DB).

The FDA issued updated public health advise on 14 May, warning that patients treated with the drugs have a higher risk of “serious and life-threatening side effects and [a] greater number of deaths” among several groups of patient, including patients in whom anaemia was not caused by chemotherapy, and patients . . .