Mystery Effect In Biotech Drug Puts Its Maker On Defensive By JOHN TAGLIABUE (NYT) ABSTRACT - Study by Dr Nicole Casadevall, director of hematology at Hotel Dieu, Paris, raises concerns about Johnson & Johnson's anti-anemia drug Eprex and other brands of erythropoietin (EPO), bioengineered protein that is best-selling biotech drug ever. Casadevall found that some patients given drug, which is used to stimulate production of red blood cells, can lose ability to make any red blood cells at all; their antibodies treat drug, which is subtly different from natural protein, as foreign protein and then do same to patients' natural EPO as well. Of 141 cases of red aplasia reported in EPO users, most have involved people taking Eprex in Europe, Canada and Australia; only handful of cases have appeared in patients using other brands of drug, including Procrit, Johnson & Johnson's name for EPO drug it sells in US. Johnson & Johnson makes Eprex at factory in Puerto Rico, but Procrit is produced for Johnson & Johnson at factory in Colorado run by Amgen, which developed drug; Johnson & Johnson contends that handful of cases of red cell aplasia in users of its competitors' drugs are evidence that problem, whatever it is, goes beyond Eprex. New York Times BUSINESS/FINANCIAL DESK | October 2, 2002, Wednesday Late Edition - Final , Section C , Page 1 , Column 2 Inappropriate Advertising/Promotion Epoetin alfa,6/03 Ralph Moss Newsletter #109, 11/03 International Congress on Anti-Cancer Treatment February 2001 Relationship Between Fatigue & Sleep: Review Inflammation Factors Influence Fatigue J Clin Onc, 4/04 Cancer Fatigue After Chemotherapy w/ Acupuncture & Acupressure Abstract # 8025 ASCO, 2004 L-Carnitine Fatigue, Nutritional Status, Oxidative Stress L-Carnitine & Epirubicin (Cardiomyopathy) Taurine and carnitine in canine cardiomyopathy. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 3/05 Cancer Practice, May 2001 RTC Home-based Exercise: Pts Treated for Multiple Myeloma Exercise Transforms Fatigue During Chemo Aerobic Exercise vs Relaxation Training After Surgery Cancer, Vol 101, No. 3:550-557, 8/04 Editorial on Exercise to 'Beat' Fatigue from Prosate Ca RTx Walking May Relieve Fatigue in Leukemia Patients UCLA Jonnson Cancer Center, 6/04 Yoga Improves QoL During Rads (Breast Ca) Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.