U.S. lawmakers seek J&J, Amgen anemia drug records

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON, April 1 (Reuters) - Two U.S. Democratic lawmakers have asked Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Amgen Inc (AMGN.O: Quote, Profile, Research) for records on their advertising of controversial anemia drugs, saying aggressive marketing may have fueled potentially dangerous use.

Amgen's top-selling product Aranesp and J&J's Procrit have come under fire in recent months after researchers found patients given high doses died sooner or saw their cancers grow.

House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell and Rep. Bart Stupak, in letters dated March 31, demanded records on the companies' advertising campaigns and future promotional plans, as well as how much the drugmakers had spent on promotions since 2001.

"Millions of dollars have been poured into aggressive marketing campaigns, despite mounting evidence that these therapies pose serious risks," Dingell said in a statement released on Tuesday.

"These potentially harmful drugs are over-prescribed and widely used off-label, and it's time we evaluate the marketing practices used to push them," said Dingell.

The injectable medicines are approved for treating chemotherapy-induced anemia, a condition in which low red blood cell levels can cause fatigue and weakness.

The erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, or ESAs, also are cleared for treating patients with kidney disease.

Last month, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel urged limits on their use in cancer patients.