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FDA Orders Company To Change Anemia Drug Labels

Washington, D.C.- In a move that has been widely expected in the marketplace, the FDA ordered the Amgen Company to change how it labels its anemia drugs, and this action could potentially restrict how patients use these drugs against Cancer.

The FDA announced on Wednesday that it was invoking its authority under a recent 2007 law to require Amgen to alter and change the prescribing and label information provided for the drugs Procrit, and Aranesp.

The Amgen company was less than thrilled by the order of the FDA, they believe the new labeling changes and restrictions will cause doctors and patients to use these anemia drugs less and less for cancer purposes, which will drastically affect sales.

The drugs have been used in the last several years by many patients and doctors, who have chosen to prescribe them to help treat various cancers, not anemia.

While the FDA has not totally outlawed such usage, their new labeling requirement will make it near impossible for Amgen to market their drugs for purposes such as cancer treatment, partly because their drugs are approved to treat anemia, not cancer.