Anemia Drug Recalled After Patient Deaths

by Christopher Freeburn | February 25, 2013 12:41 pm

prescription drugs[1]Shares of Affymax (NASDAQ:AFFY[2]) plunged more than 85% in Monday midday trading after the company announced a recall of its anemia drug[3].

The company and its Japanese partner Takeda Pharmaceutical (PINK:TKPYY[4]), voluntarily pulled the drug after reports indicated that 0.02% of 25,000 patients receiving Omontys had suffered extreme reactions and died, Reuters noted.

Other patients were reported to have experienced strong hypersensitivity reactions — including 19 reports of anaphylaxis — to the drug. Also known as peginesatide, the medication is designed to combat anemia in adults undergoing dialysis.

In November, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stopped production of a generic version of the anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor made by Ranbaxy Laboratories (PINK:RBXZF[5]) after glass particles were found in some shipments[6].

Shares of Takeda Pharmaceutical fell more than 2% in over-the-counter trading.

Endnotes:

  1. [Image]: https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/prescription-drugs.jpg
  2. AFFY: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=AFFY
  3. announced a recall of its anemia drug: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/24/us-affymax-takeda-recall-idUSBRE91N01Y20130224
  4. TKPYY: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=TKPYY
  5. RBXZF: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=RBXZF
  6. after glass particles were found in some shipments: https://investorplace.com/2012/11/generic-lipitor-maker-stops-production/

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