Study finds role for J&J anemia drug in cancer

US health care major Johnson & Johnson says that new study results suggest that 80,000 units of Procrit (epoetin alfa) administered once every three weeks may increase hemoglobin levels and improve quality of life in patients with non-myeloid malignancies who are not receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

In this study, which was published in the November supplement of the medical journal Blood, 75.5% of patients on the anemia drug achieved a hematopoietic response, defined as an increase in Hb of 2g/dL of blood and/or achieving a target Hb 12g/dL during the study, independent of blood transfusion, within 28 days. Procrit-treated patients also demonstrated significant improvements from baseline in quality of life based on measures of energy level, improvements in daily activities and overall quality of life, J&J noted.

The agent is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for reducing transfusion requirements in non-myeloid cancer patients with anemia due to chemotherapy. The recommended starting dose for patients with chemotherapy-related anemia is 40,000 units once weekly.