In The article today "Amgen Hammered Anew" we are informed of the FDA's decision to place warnings on the use of Amgen's drug Epogen and Aranesp by cancer patients. I wanted to use this opportunity to discuss the nature of the biotechnology industries largest family of products and how they were concieved and put into common use. Epogen is a synthetic version of the protein erythropoetin which in manufactured in the kidneys. In kidney patients, production of erythropoetin is hindered or eliminated, and as such, the first patients to receive Epogen were kidney patients. The natural function of erythropoetin is to stimulate the production of red blood cells ( erythrocytes ) in the bone marrow. Thus kidney patients often suffer from anemia which can be treated with erythropoetin, or Epogen.
Cancer patients are often treated by a process called chemotherapy which involves administration of toxic agents such as Taxol. Taxol is a chemical that is produced from the Pacific Yew tree that inhibits cell division in all cells. This is toxic to all dividing cells in the body, and is useful to stop the rapidly dividing cells of a tumor. In addition to stopping cell division of the tumor cells, there are side effects in all bodily functions that involve cell division. Hair production stops in the hair follicles, there are abnormalities in the lining of the digestive system, and blood cell creation ( hematopoesis ) in the bone marrow ceases.
As such, Epogen is useful in helping cancer patients recover from the affects of chemotherapy by raising their hematocrit ( blood count ).
That is why this news event is somewhat surprising. There does not seem to be a side affect listed that accounts for the FDA decision.
Physicians and their patients will be watching the situation closely.
References
Amgen Hammered Anew
http://www.thestreet.com/_mktw/newsanalysis/pharmaceuticals/10356260.html
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