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WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal advisers said anemia drugs sold by Amgen Inc. and Johnson & Johnson should be sharply restricted to a segment of cancer patients — a recommendation that could cost the companies millions.
The limits, proposed Thursday by a Food and Drug Administration panel, were the latest blow to three blockbuster medications already plagued by concerns over increased risks of death and tumor growth.
The cancer experts overwhelmingly voted to keep the drugs on the market for chemotherapy patients, but said use should be limited to those with uncurable forms of cancer. The experts also voted nine-to-five to withdraw the drug's use in patients with breast or head-and-neck cancers, such as those affecting the sinuses, throat and lymph nodes.
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