Drugs › Erythropoiesis-stimulating agent
Brand name · Darbepoetin alfa
Aranesp: adverse event reports filed with FDA
37,277 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Erythropoiesis-stimulating agent. Also reported as Aranesp Injection.
- 37,277
- reports as suspect product
- 0.2% of all reports · about 1,657 a year
- 826
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 847 in the 12 months before
- 88.2%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 78.3% across the class
- 43.4%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 16,180 reports · not verified by FDA
Between January 2004 and June 2026, 37,277 adverse event reports received by FDA list the brand name Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa) as a suspect or interacting product. Reports that mention it only as a concomitant medication (10,018) are left out of every figure here.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 826 reports listed it, close to the 847 of the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 1,657 reports a year and 0.2% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 56.2% of the reports for the erythropoiesis-stimulating agent class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
The reactions recorded most often are death (39.9%), hospitalisation (14.8%) and product storage error (4.4%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 1,304 different terms appear across these reports. Death is recorded in 39.9% of these reports, a larger share than in the median erythropoiesis-stimulating agent drug (8.5%).
88.2% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (78.3% across the class); 43.4% record death among the outcomes and 39.4% record hospitalisation, as reported. 58.6% of the reports came from other health professionals, and the largest patient age group is 75 and over (30.4%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.
By year received
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Aranesp reports recording the termmedian drug in erythropoiesis-stimulating agent
- Deaththe patient died; cause not stated by this term39.9%14,876
- Hospitalisationadmission to hospital14.8%5,515
- Product storage errorthe product was stored wrongly4.4%1,622
- Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label3.9%1,441
- Circumstance or information capable of leading to medication errora situation that could lead to a medication error2.8%1,048
- Haemoglobin decreasedlow haemoglobin2.6%985
- Haemodialysis2.5%918
- Anaemialow red blood cells2.3%845
- Falla fall2%750
- Aplasia pure red cell1.7%652
- Malaisegeneral feeling of being unwell1.7%643
- Dialysisdialysis1.6%614
- Dyspnoeashortness of breath1.6%598
- Pneumonialung infection1.6%598
- Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected1.5%551
- Sepsisa severe body-wide response to infection1.3%488
- Investigation1.3%487
- Therapeutic response decreasedthe medicine worked less well1.3%467
- Hypertensionhigh blood pressure1.2%460
- Fatiguetiredness1.2%435
- Nauseafeeling sick1.2%432
- Unevaluable eventthe event could not be assessed1.1%425
- Renal disorder1.1%422
- Abdominal painstomach or belly pain1.1%402
- Vomitingbeing sick1.1%396
- General physical health deteriorationgeneral decline in health1%384
- Urinary tract infectionbladder or urinary infection1%380
- Lower respiratory tract infectiona chest infection1%361
- Renal failurekidney failure1%355
Top 30 of 1,304 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 9 drugs in the erythropoiesis-stimulating agent class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 66,386 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 17.9% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nephrogenic anaemia | 6,320 | 17% |
| Anaemia | 2,965 | 8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 1,288 | 3.5% |
| Renal failure chronic | 1,278 | 3.4% |
| Myelodysplastic syndrome | 936 | 2.5% |
| Anaemia of malignant disease | 625 | 1.7% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 37,277 reports.
Drugs most often listed in the same reports
| Drug (any role in the report) | Reports | Share of Aranesp reports |
|---|---|---|
| Allopurinol | 720 | 1.9% |
| Furosemide | 531 | 1.4% |
| Calcitriol | 480 | 1.3% |
| Aspirin | 419 | 1.1% |
| Acetaminophen | 402 | 1.1% |
| Folic acid | 384 | 1% |
| Simvastatin | 375 | 1% |
| Iron | 345 | 0.9% |
| Lansoprazole | 336 | 0.9% |
| Epogen | 334 | 0.9% |
Other products listed in reports where Aranesp is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.
In context
| Measure | Aranesp | Erythropoiesis-stimulating agent | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 37,277 | 66,386 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 56.2% | 0.2% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 826 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 88.2% | 78.3% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 434 | 340 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 394 | 342 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 23.6% | 22.3% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Death 39.9% | median 8.5% | 4.1% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Other drugs in the erythropoiesis-stimulating agent class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mircera | brand | 8,865 | 281 | 65.8% |
| Procrit | brand | 8,224 | 66 | 57% |
| Epogen | brand | 4,317 | 27 | 41.8% |
| Darbepoetin alfa | generic | 3,770 | 299 | 93.6% |
| Retacrit | brand | 1,429 | 106 | 61% |
| Epoetin alfa | generic | 945 | 43 | 91.5% |
| Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta | generic | 911 | 1 | 99.7% |
| Erythropoietin | generic | 648 | 64 | 97.2% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.
Questions about Aranesp reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Aranesp?
37,277 reports list Aranesp as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 826 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 10,018 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Aranesp reports?
death (39.9%), hospitalisation (14.8%), product storage error (4.4%), off label use (3.9%) and circumstance or information capable of leading to medication error (2.8%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Aranesp was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
88.2% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 43.4% of reports include death and 39.4% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
other health professional (58.6%), consumer or non-health professional (23.6%) and physician (12%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Aranesp rising?
826 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, close to the 847 of the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Aranesp was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Aranesp?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Aranesp as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (10,018) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.