On Jul. 22, 2002, Amgen announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa) for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced anemia in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies.

Aranesp is a recombinant erythropoietic protein (proteins that stimulate production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells) that requires fewer injections than existing treatment.