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Darbepoetin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of darbepoetin include death, hospitalisation, and off label use, based on 54,720 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025.

Darbepoetin side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for darbepoetin.

1
Death28.6%15,651
2
Hospitalisation11.2%6,120
3
Off Label Use4.6%2,495
4
Product Storage Error3.0%1,620
5
Anaemia2.8%1,520
6
Pneumonia2.4%1,320
7
Fatigue2.0%1,090
8
Fall2.0%1,087
9
Haemoglobin Decreased1.9%1,050
10
Circumstance Or Information Capable Of Leading To Medication Error1.9%1,050
11
Dyspnoea1.9%1,027
12
Diarrhoea1.9%1,017
13
Nausea1.7%946
14
Haemodialysis1.7%937
15
Vomiting1.5%831

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that darbepoetin caused these reactions.

Report severity

89.5%Serious48,977 reports
45.2%Hospitalizations24,746 reports
36.4%Fatal19,931 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Darbepoetin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside darbepoetin. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Lenalidomide2.8%1,539
2
Mycophenolate1.5%825
3
Bevacizumab1.5%805
4
Dexamethasone1.3%686
5
Tacrolimus1.2%677
6
Prednisone1.2%670
7
Furosemide1.2%636
8
Rituximab1.1%626
9
Allopurinol1.1%589
10
Epoetin1.0%571
11
Calcitriol1.0%562
12
Warfarin1.0%535
13
Cyclophosphamide0.9%508
14
Acetaminophen0.9%489
15
Pegfilgrastim0.9%467

Taken alongside

1
Furosemide7.4%4,050
2
Aspirin6.0%3,295
3
Acetaminophen5.8%3,163
4
Amlodipine5.2%2,827
5
Prednisone4.1%2,254
6
Atorvastatin-calcium3.8%2,098
7
Omeprazole3.8%2,071
8
Insulin3.7%2,046
9
Dexamethasone3.7%2,017
10
Pantoprazole-sodium3.6%1,996
11
Folic-acid3.5%1,934
12
Metoprolol3.4%1,886
13
Levothyroxine-sodium3.4%1,861
14
Allopurinol2.9%1,611
15
Ergocalciferol2.8%1,555

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports darbepoetin side effects

42.3% of darbepoetin adverse event reports involve female patients and 48.6% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 69%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female42.3%
Male48.6%
Unknown9.1%

Age group

< 20.5%
2–110.5%
12–170.5%
18–6429.0%
65+69.4%

What is darbepoetin used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking darbepoetin when the adverse event was reported.

5q Minus SyndromeAbdominal DistensionAbdominal MassAcute Kidney InjuryAcute LeukaemiaAcute Myeloid LeukaemiaAcute Post Asthmatic AmyotrophyAdjuvant TherapyAdverse EventAgranulocytosisAlport^s SyndromeAnaemiaAnaemia Folate DeficiencyAnaemia MacrocyticAnaemia Neonatal

Showing 15 of 496 indications

Darbepoetin brand names and reporting trend

Darbepoetin is sold under the brand name Aranesp.

Brand names

Aranesp17,121

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking darbepoetin with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.