FDA: Anemia Drug Erythropoietin is Overused and May be Dangerous

May 11, 2007--A panel of experts advising the Food and Drug Administration gave strong signals yesterday that it thinks the blockbuster anemia drug called erythropoietin is overused in cancer treatment and may, in fact, be shortening the lives of some patients who take it, reported the Washington Post.

While it did not recommend specific changes to the official instruction for the drug's use, the panel told the FDA to gather much more data on erythropoietin's safety.

Setting a much higher bar for giving it, prescribing it for shorter periods, and avoiding it altogether in patients with some cancers are all options the agency should consider, it said.

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