Aranesp coverage decision

Executive Summary

D.C. federal court dismisses Amgen's challenge of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' decision to reimburse Aranesp (darbepoetin) at the same level as Johnson & Johnson's Procrit (epoetin) under the final Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System rule for 2003. In a Dec. 26 1opinion, the court determined that Amgen lacked standing to challenge CMS from implementing certain provisions relating to Aranesp. CMS concluded that the two anemia therapies are "functionally equivalent" (2"The Pink Sheet" Nov. 4, p. 27)...