American Society Of Clinical Oncology Asks CMS To Lift Restrictions On Use Of Anemia Drugs

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Blood / Hematology
Article Date: 04 Sep 2007 - 2:00 PST

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The American Society of Clinical Oncology on Thursday submitted a written request that CMS lift restrictions on the use of anemia drugs in cancer patients, saying the rules interfere with patient treatment, Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times reports (Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times, 8/31).

CMS last month announced that it will limit Medicare coverage for use of anemia medications -- Aranesp, manufactured by Amgen, and Procrit, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson -- in cancer patients. Under the rules, Medicare will cover the medications, synthetic forms of the protein erythropoietin, to treat anemia caused by chemotherapy but not anemia caused by cancer. Medicare will cover the anemia medications in cancer patients whose hemoglobin levels decrease to less than 10 grams per deciliter of blood.

The decision also will allow local Medicare contractors to determine whether to cover the anemia medications for use in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome, a condition that can lead to leukemia (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/31). The regulations require physicians to use anemia medications at lower doses than are approved by FDA.

According to an Aug. 3 letter to CMS from Joseph Bailes, chair of ASCO's government relations council, the rules could limit "physicians' ability to provide the care they judge most appropriate for their patients." The American Society of Hematology plans to join the effort (Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times, 8/31).

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