An updated analysis of data from studies of Amgen’s Aranesp and Epogen, and J&J’s Procrit, showed they increased the risk of death by 11 percent and the risk of blood clots by 59 percent, when compared with cancer patients who didn’t use the drugs, according to The Cancer Letter (subscription required).

The results were culled from randomized trials reported since 2003, and reviewed by the Cochrane Collaboration, an academic consortium. The data will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology on Sunday. A meta-analysis isn’t considered as persuasive as a randomly controlled clinical trial, but the companies have used a similar pooled-study approach to defend their drugs.

“Given the heightened publicity around negative safety signals in this class, this analysis could continue to pressure both demand and reimbursement” as the FDA and Medicare mull the future of the drugs, Morgan Stanley analyst Steven Harr told Reuters.

Sounds bad, doesn’t it? But remember, Amgen ceo Kevin Sharer says there’s no crisis.

Source: Reuters