FDA orders Amgen to revise labels on growth factors

The Food and Drug Administration has ordered pharmaceutical giant Amgen to revise labels on its growth factor products, which stimulate the production of blood cells and are used in patients with low blood counts undergoing treatment for diseases such as kidney disease and cancer. Some data released in the past year has shown that these drugs may actually be dangerous for cancer patients if used too prolifically. Sales of Amgen’s products have been falling since this data was released; moreover, Medicare has cut back coverage/reimbursement for some uses of the drugs and narrowly restricted their use — these drugs are …read more