Amgen and Centocor Ortho Biotech Products: FDA approves REMS for Aranesp, EPOGEN and PROCRIT ESAs

Feb 17 2010

Amgen Inc. (Nasdaq: AMGN) and Centocor Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), which include Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa), EPOGEN® (Epoetin alfa) and PROCRIT® (Epoetin alfa).  The FDA has determined that a REMS is necessary for ESAs to ensure the benefits of these drugs outweigh the risks of shortened overall survival and/or increased tumor progression or recurrence as identified in clinical studies in patients with breast, non-small cell lung, head and neck, lymphoid and cervical cancers.

As part of the REMS, a Medication Guide explaining the risks and benefits of ESAs must be provided to all patients receiving ESAs. To ensure continued access to ESAs for healthcare providers who prescribe, or prescribe and dispense, ESAs to patients with cancer, providers are required to train and enroll in the ESA APPRISE (Assisting Providers and cancer Patients with Risk Information for the Safe use of ESAs) Oncology Program and to document that a discussion about the risks of ESAs took place with each patient prior to the initiation of each new course of ESA therapy.  The ESA APPRISE Oncology Program will be launched on March 24, 2010. Direct patient registration or approval prior to ESA administration is not required through the ESA APPRISE Oncology Program.

The goal of the ESA REMS is to support informed decisions between patients and their healthcare providers (HCPs) who are considering treatment with Aranesp, EPOGEN or PROCRIT educating them on the risks of ESAs.  For treatment of patients with cancer, the goal of the REMS, as implemented through the ESA APPRISE Oncology Program, is to mitigate the risk of decreased survival and/or poorer tumor outcomes.

"The ESA REMS represents our continued commitment to patient education and safety," said Roger M. Perlmutter, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen.  "This program supports a thoughtful dialogue between healthcare providers and patients when considering ESA treatment."

To support the implementation of the ESA APPRISE Oncology Program, Amgen and Centocor Ortho Biotech Products will distribute a Dear Healthcare Provider letter introducing the program, providing the rationale, program objectives, training and enrollment requirements and consequences for non-enrollment. Beginning March 24, healthcare providers who prescribe, or prescribe and dispense ESAs for patients with cancer and hospitals that dispense ESAs for patients with cancer will be able to train and enroll in the ESA APPRISE Oncology Program by contacting their local Amgen or Centocor Ortho Biotech Products field representative or by accessing the ESA APPRISE Oncology Program Website, www.esa-apprise.com.