Totality of Available Data Reaffirms PROCRIT(R) (Epoetin alfa) Is Safe and Effective When Used Appropriately as Labeled to Treat Chemotherapy-Indu...( BRIDGEWATER N.J. March 11 /- The ...),Health

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The totality of scientific data submitted in recent months to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in preparation for the March 13th Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee Meeting (ODAC) reaffirms that erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are safe and effective when used according to the product label to treat chemotherapy- induced anemia (CIA). ESAs are an important treatment option for CIA patients as the only proven therapeutic alternative to blood transfusions.

"ESA use within the label has not been associated with increased risk of mortality or disease progression," said Craig Tendler, M.D., Vice President, Medical Affairs, Oncology/Nephrology, Ortho Biotech Products, L.P. "Ortho Biotech looks forward to Thursday's ODAC meeting, at which we hope that responsible recommendations will be made based on the totality of available evidence, including a substantial body of scientific data submitted to the FDA over the past several months."
At the ODAC meeting, Ortho Biotech will:

-- Present the totality of data requested by the FDA at the May 2007 ODAC

meeting, including follow-up survival data submitted over the last four

months from studies accounting for approximately 50 percent of the

7,444 patients in the company's database;

-- Suggest that vascular thrombotic events (VTEs) are the most plausible

explanation for increased mortality with ESAs in cancer patients seen

in some studies with high hemoglobin targets;

-- Recommend additional research to address outstanding issues; and

-- Propose risk minimization strategies to reduce the risk of VTEs and

ensure safe and appropriate use.

The company has provided to the FDA all available clinical data from relevant, randomized controlled trials of ESAs to treat CIA. "The known risks of ESA use are prominently displayed in the current product labeling, and we will
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