The Medical Freedom Channel

“U.S. cancer doctors on Thursday plan to ratchet up pressure on the federal Medicare agency to reverse new limits on use of anemia drugs made by Amgen Inc. and Johnson & Johnson. An official with the American Society of Clinical Oncology, a powerful lobby of cancer doctors, said they will formally ask that the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid re-open a final rule issued last month tightening usage and dosing for the drugs. The erythropoiesis-stimulating agents are sold by Amgen Inc. as Epogen and Aranesp, and by Johnson & Johnson as Procrit, and are also known as EPO drugs…. Medicare issued the limits following months of heightened scrutiny of the drugs after they were linked to a higher heart attack and stroke risk when used at high doses. The drugs are the biggest single drug cost for Medicare — Amgen earned $4 billion from its Aranesp alone last year.” [editor’s note: Hard to know where to stand on this one; “biggest single drug cost for Medicare” (plus known health risks) vs. “cancer doctors” prescribing it? - SAT] (08/30/07)