Them’s fighting words, Roger. But Amgen’s exec vp for global R&D was plenty steamed at Medicare for restricting reimbursement for Aranesp and Epogen earlier this week, even though the agency’s move wasn’t as bad as some expected. Nonetheless, Roger feels Medicare had no business lecturing anyone about safety when the FDA is supposed be doing that.

“The coverage restrictions placed on the FDA-approved indication have no scientific basis and are incompatible with good clinical practice,” Roger fumed. “We are concerned that inappropriately limiting coverage for (the drugs) at hemoglobin levels less than 10 gram per deciliter will both increase blood transfusions and severely compromise the high quality of cancer care delivered by American physicians. In our view, restricting coverage in this way is unreasonable, impractical and unworkable. Moreover, through this coverage decision, the CMS has undermined the ability of physicians to decide how best to administer therapy to their patients through carefully defined dosing guidance articulated by the FDA.”