Mass Torts Update - Monday, November 10, 2008 10:25 - 0 Comments

FDA probing deaths in anemia drug study

U.S. health officials have been reviewing a higher rate of deaths among patients treated with Eprex, a Johnson & Johnson anemia drug, in a German study of stroke patients. Sixteen percent of patients who were treated with Eprex died three months after the study began compared with 9% who took a placebo. The study was testing to find out if Eprex could improve brain function in stroke patients, which is an unapproved use of the drug. The 522 patients in the test, most of whom were not anemic, were given relatively high doses of Eprex for three days, or were given a placebo.

Continue…