Reports of Red-Blood Cell Aplasia Increasing Among Eprex Users
July 1, 2002
Johnson & Johnson announced Thursday that it has received over 100 reports of pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) in patients taking the anemia drug Eprex (erythropoietin). The announcement comes one month after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially confirmed the drug's link to the disorder in a letter published in the The New England Journal of Medicine.
Eprex's link to PRCA, a condition characterized by a near absence of red blood cell precursors, has been a concern in the medical community for months. Last fall, Johnson & Johnson issued a warning letter to physicians concerning the potential for the side effect. In February, The New England Journal published a report regarding Eprex's link to an increase in PRCA cases. Johnson & Johnson says the number of patients who have developed the blood disorder has reached 124 worldwide.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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