Special Alerts:

[Posted 07/31/2008] Amgen and FDA informed healthcare professionals of modifications to certain sections of the Boxed Warnings, Indications and Usage, and Dosage and Administration sections of prescribing information for Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents (ESAs). The changes clarify the FDA-approved conditions for use of ESAs in patients with cancer and revise directions for dosing to state the hemoglobin level at which treatment with an ESA should be initiated. Additional revisions to prescribing information that ESAs are not intended for use in patients receiving myelosuppressive therapy when the expected outcome is cure and when to initiate and discontinue ESA dosing will be forthcoming. FDA continues to encourage healthcare professionals to discuss with their patients before starting or continuing therapy with ESAs, the benefits of treatment with ESAs and the potential and demonstrated risks of ESAs for thrombovascular events, shortened time to tumor progression or recurrence, and shortened survival time. For more information visit the FDA website at: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2008/safety08.htm#ESA2 and http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/eglabs07_08.html.

[Posted 03/12/2008] Amgen and FDA notified healthcare professionals of changes to the Boxed Warnings/WARNINGS: Increased Mortality and/or Tumor Progression section of the darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp) and epoetin alfa (Epogen/Procrit) labeling to update information describing the results of two additional studies showing increased mortality and more rapid tumor progression in patients with cancer receiving ESAs. Based on the results of these studies, the prescribing information has been revised as follows: ESAs shortened overall survival and/or time to tumor progression in clinical studies in patients with breast, non-small cell lung, head and neck, lymphoid, and cervical cancers when dosed to target a hemoglobin of ≥ 12 g/dL. For more information visit the FDA website at: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2008/safety08.htm#ESA and http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2008/epo_DHCP_03102008.pdf.

[Posted 11/08/2007] FDA notified healthcare professionals of revised boxed warnings and other safety-related product labeling changes for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), which treat certain types of anemia. These new statements address the risks that the drugs darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp) and epoetin alfa (Epogen, and Procrit) pose to patients with cancer and patients with chronic kidney failure. For patients with cancer, the new boxed warnings emphasize that ESAs caused tumor growth and shortened survival in patients with advanced breast, head and neck, lymphoid and non-small cell lung cancer when they received a dose that attempted to achieve a hemoglobin level of 12 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or greater. For patients with chronic kidney failure, the new boxed warning states that ESAs should be used to maintain a hemoglobin level between 10 g/dL to 12 g/dL. Maintaining higher hemoglobin levels in patients with chronic kidney failure increases the risk of death and other serious conditions. The new labeling provides specific instructions for dosage adjustments and hemoglobin monitoring for chronic kidney failure patients who do not respond to ESA treatment with an adequate increase in their hemoglobin levels.

Additionally, the new boxed warnings clarify that ESAs should only be used in patients with cancer when treating anemia specifically caused by chemotherapy and not for other causes of anemia. Further, it states that ESAs should be discontinued once the patient’s chemotherapy course has been completed. For more information visit the FDA website at: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2007/safety07.htm#ESA2, http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2007/103234s5158lbl.pdf, http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2007/103951s5164lbl.pdf and http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/RHE/default.htm.