Anemia Drug

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new anemia drug, which will help increase red blood cell levels in patients receiving kidney dialysis.  

The drug, named Omontys, will be an alternative to another company called Amgen that makes drugs for anemia patients. It was made by a small company called Affymax and will work the same way as Amgen’s drugs do.  

According to the article from the New York Times, the new drug may also provide an inexpensive alternative for Medicare and dialysis providers, which pays for most dialysis. 

With its contract negotiations with dialysis providers, Affymax plans to make its drug less expensive with rebates and discounts.  

However, safety could be another issue. In clinical trials, it was discovered that patients with kidney disease who were not undergoing dialysis had a higher rate of some cardiovascular problems while on Omontys, compared to those taking Amgen’s drug called Aranesp.  

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