Is Aranesp Safe ?

USES: treat anemia

Aranesp belongs to a class of drugs known as erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, or ESAs, and is used to treat anemia in patients with HIV, cancer, and chronic kidney failure. In March 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that a “black box” warning would be added to Aranesp and two other ESAs— Procrit and Epogen —alerting doctors and consumers to the increased risk of death, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.

Aranesp Dangers

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that Aranesp and other ESAs increase the risk of:

• Blood clots, heart attack, and death in kidney failure patients treated with higher than recommended doses
• Death in cancer patients not undergoing chemotherapy but receiving normal doses
• Blood clots in post-orthopedic surgery patients
• Cancer progression in patients with head and neck cancers being treated with high doses

The new heightened warning urges doctors to prescribe the lowest possible dose to avoid potentially fatal side effects and also prevent the need for blood transfusions. Patients who are taking Aranesp, Epogen, or Procrit and experiencing any unusual symptoms should consult with a physician immediately.