A new book has been published that reiterates many of the allegations of recent lawsuits surrounding the marketing of anemia drugs Aranesp, Procrit, and Epogen, which are all manufactured by Amgen.  One of the drugs, Procrit, is marketed and sold by Johnson & Johnson.  According to recent allegations and FDA findings, these drugs, which were increasingly prescribed to purportedly improve the quality of life of patients with serious diseases such as cancer and AIDS, may actually increase cancer growth rates and lead to significant heart problems.  The FDA recently concluded that there was no dosage that was able to eliminate the risks posed by the drug and have counseled physicians to confine use only to patients who suffer from anemia, the drug’s original intended purpose.

Amgen has reached a settlement in principle in relation to these allegations and is expected to pay $780 million.

Read the entire article, “Medicare’s Blood Drugs”