A new study published in the February 27, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) by Dr. Charles L. Bennett, a professor at Northwestern University, et al, has found that anemia drugs often prescribed to cancer patients actually raise significantly their risk of death.

The researchers found that the drugs, including Amgen Inc's Aranesp and Johnson & Johnson's Procrit, raised the risk of death by 10 percent, which apparently means that not only do they raise the possibility of blood clots, as previously thought, but they also may be stimulating cancer and shortening cancer patients' survival.

The study looked at data from 13,611 patients, and found that the increased the risk of dangerous blood clots in the lungs or legs by 57 percent. The results come just in time, as an advisory panel to the US Food and Drug Administration is due to discuss safety concerns about the drugs on March 13.

The study's lead author, Dr. Bennett, who is an oncologist and hematologist, said he did not think that the higher risk of death came from this increased risk of blood clots. Instead, the study appears to point out that these drugs, which are synthetic forms of a natural hormone called erythropoietin, directly stimulate the growth and spread of tumors.

Meanwhile, drug companies rushed to counter the study's findings which may affect their future sales. Ortho Biotech, which makes one of these drugs called Procrit (Epoetin alfa), said in a statement that the conclusions of the study do not provide an accurate reflection of the safety profile of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents when used for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced anemia in patients with cancer.

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