HEALTH

Anemia Drug Trial Suspended as Death Rate Rises: Amgen Inc. discontinued the trials of higher doses of its anti-anemia drug Epogen in dialysis patients with severe heart disease after their death rate climbed. Epogen is a protein that promotes formation of red blood cells and has been highly successful in combating anemia in patients undergoing kidney dialysis. The Thousand Oaks-based biotechnology company said that the suspension has no bearing on the use of the drug in the standard lower doses now taken by more than 200,000 dialysis patients. Despite the higher death rates, Amgen spokesman David Kaye said, some patients in the study were “doing much better” with the higher doses.