Civil Rights
Block on Trump's Asylum Ban Upheld by Supreme Court
Drugs used to treat anemia carry health risks and should only be prescribed to patients with certain types of incurable cancer, a panel of scientists has advised the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The panel's findings apply to popular anemia medications like Aranesp and Procrit. These drugs, called erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), are used in treatment of chemotherapy-associated anemia. According to the Los Angeles Times, Thursday's hearing on the safety and use of ESAs "focused on a growing theory that the drugs might in some instances do more harm than good." In February, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association article linked ESAs to an increased risk of death and blood clots in cancer patients.