NEWS - Anemia drugs linked to stroke study deaths: FDA

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Anemia Drugs Linked to Stroke Study Deaths: FDA

Procrit, Aranesp already bear warning labels due to cancer concerns,

experts note

Posted September 26, 2008

By Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Preliminary results from a German

study suggest that stroke patients' use of anti-anemia drugs such as

Aranesp, Procrit and Epogen might end up boosting their risk for

death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned on Friday.

The goal of the study was to see if high doses of the anti-anemia drug

epoetin alfa could improve the ability of stroke patients to take care

of themselves after recovering from a stroke.

The hope was that the drug would be neuroprotective, but use of

epoetin alfa now appears linked to a near-doubling of mortality.

This is not the first time that these drugs have come under scrutiny.

In the United States, medications like Procrit were marketed heavily

as anemia treatments, particularly for cancer patients and those with

kidney failure.

However, in July of this year, the FDA called on manufacturers of

Aranesp and Procrit to add a warning label that could limit their use

for cancer patients.

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d-to-stroke-study-deaths-fda.html

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