EPOGEN

EPOGEN® is indicated for the treatment of anemia in patients with chronic renal failure on dialysis. EPOGEN® is generically known as Epoetin alfa, which is a man-man, injectible drug for the treatment of anemia primarily for patients with chronic renal failure on dialysis. Erythropoietin is a protein that is made in the body by the kidney, causing the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. Normally, when there is a decrease or red blood cells or a deficiency in oxygen, more erythropoietin is produced, thus increasing the red blood cells. The erythropoietin that is used for therapy, called epoetin alfa, is man-made. It is a product of the genetic engineering of ovarian cells of the Chinese hamster and is produced through recombinant DNA technology in bacteria. It does not cure the underlying cause of the anemia, and unless the underlying cause can be reversed, treatment with epoetin alfa must be continued indefinitely. Epoetin alfa belongs to a class of drugs called colony-stimulating factors because of their ability to stimulate cells in the bone marrow to multiply and form colonies of identical cells. Important Product Safety Information EPOGEN® is contraindicated in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Erythropoietic therapies may increase the risk of seizures, thrombotic events, and other serious events. The target hemoglobin (Hb) should not exceed 12 g/dL. If the Hb increase exceeds 1.0 g/dL in any 2-week period, dose reductions are recommended. In a study with hemodialysis patients with clinically evident cardiac disease, where the target hematocrit (Hct) was 42% (Hb = 14 g/dL), an increased incidence of thrombotic events and mortality was seen. The reason for increased mortality observed in this study is unknown.Cases of pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) and of severe anemia, with or without other cytopenias associated with neutralizing antibodies to erythropoietin, have been reported in patients treated with EPOGEN®. A sudden loss of response to EPOGEN®, accompanied by severe anemia and low reticulocyte count, should be evaluated. If anti-erythropoietin antibody-associated anemia is suspected, withhold EPOGEN® and other erythropoietic proteins. EPOGEN® should be permanently discontinued in patients with antibody-mediated anemia. Patients should not be switched to other erythropoietic proteins.The most commonly reported side effects in clinical trials were hypertension, headache, arthralgias, and nausea.

Daniel finds boxes of EPOGEN® during his search in Breaking And Entering.