U.S. researchers say cancer patients are at higher risk of taking two anemia drugs

a new study shows that two anemia drugs in cancer increase their risk of blood clots and deathThe researchers believe that because of the widerangeuse of the two drugs, the new findings are noteworthy2, drCharles Bennett, of Northwestern University, saidhe and his colleagues analyzed the results of 51 previous studies involving 13,611 volunteers
some of them had taken Amgen's Aranesp or Johnson and Johnson's Procrit to treat anemia,the rest of the study was given a placeboSome of the more than 10,000 volunteers were cancer patientsResults,Bennett et al., and other basic studies have shownthatthese two anemia drugs may stimulatetumorand may shorten the survival time of cancer patients The two drugs are similar to erythrocyte-producing drugs, and are more widely used in clinical use, with global sales of $6.5 billion last year Dr Michael Henk of the University of Freiburg in Germany said it was possible that the two drugs stimulated tumors cells, leading to a higher risk of taking them in cancer patients He believes the new findings could lead to changes to the drug's indications However, Ashley Cox, a spokeswoman for Amgen, said the findings did not detail the specific link between red blood cell-producing drugs and the risk of increased newly discovered mortality, and that the risk of blood clots was listed on the company's existing drug label Johnson and Johnson also said in a statement that the study "does not provide accurate information about drug safety" and that the company's drug remains a "priority" for patients with anemia caused by certain chemotherapy