A congressman has asked Thousand Oaks drug maker Amgen Inc. to stop advertising its popular anemia drugs until a federal investigation into its safety is completed. Michigan U.S. Rep. John Dingell, who leads the Committee on Energy and Commerce, sent a letter to Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer asking the company to “cease all direct-to-consumer advertising and physician incentives” for Epogen and Aranesp until the Food and Drug Administration finishes an investigation into whether any steps “need to be taken to protect the public from unnecessary risks to human life from these products.” Some research has indicated the drugs, when used at high doses, cause blood clots and complications in cancer patients. An FDA committee is scheduled to meet May 10 to make its determination.
