FDA Issues Warning for Anemia Drugs, Cites New Studies on Side Effects

WASHINGTON - The FDA has alerted healthcare professionals and the public that certain drugs used to treat anemia could cause a variety of potentially fatal side effects in patients with cancer and kidney failure.

In a statement issued March 9, the FDA said that warning labels on the erythropeoiesis-stimulating agents Aranesp, Epogen and Procrit will be revised to include boxed warnings and dosing instructions alerting physicians of the hazards and urging them to monitor patients' red blood cell levels after prescribing the drugs.

The FDA said that recently completed studies have described an increased risk of death, blood clots, heart …