Side effects
Side effects include:
- increased blood pressure
- thrombosis of vascular access sites
- 'flu-like symptoms
- seizures
- skin reactions
Rarely, confirmed or suspected pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) may occur in chronic renal failure patients treated with epoetin alfa (1). The estimated reporting rate of this suspected adverse reaction is less than 1:10,000 patients (1).
The peak incidence of PRCA in 2011 was associated with a specific epoetin alfa product's formulation change. Past epidemiological studies showed that prefilled syringes' rubber-stop leachates and certain stabilizers caused antibody formation. PRCA became rare when these issues were addressed. (2)
Reference:
- Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance (2002), 28, 1-3.
- Bennett CL et al. Linking drugs to obscure illnesses: lessons from pure red cell aplasia, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, and Reye's syndrome. a report from the Southern Network on Adverse Reactions (SONAR). J Gen Intern Med. 2012 Dec;27(12):1697-703
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