Quick answers
- What is Darbepoetin alfa used for?
- The FDA-approved label (Aranesp, Amgen, Inc, July 7, 2026) says: “Aranesp is an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) indicated for the treatment of anemia due to: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in patients on dialysis and patients not on dialysis. The effects of concomitant myelosuppressive chemotherapy, and upon initiation, there is a minimum of two additional months of planned chemotherapy. …” This page is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine.
- Does Darbepoetin alfa have a boxed warning?
- Yes. The FDA label for Aranesp has a boxed warning, the FDA’s strongest warning. Read it on the full label and ask your pharmacist.
- Is there a shortage of Darbepoetin alfa?
- No current shortage is listed by the FDA for the products of this medicine (FDA data from October 30, 2026).
- Has Darbepoetin alfa been recalled?
- No recall linked to the products of this medicine appears in the FDA enforcement reports we use.
- Who makes Darbepoetin alfa?
- 1 company lists prescription products of Darbepoetin alfa in the FDA NDC Directory, including Amgen, Inc.
What Darbepoetin alfa is used for
Quoted from the “Indications and Usage” section of the FDA-approved label.
Aranesp is an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) indicated for the treatment of anemia due to: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in patients on dialysis and patients not on dialysis. The effects of concomitant myelosuppressive chemotherapy, and upon initiation, there is a minimum of two additional months of planned chemotherapy. …
— FDA label: Aranesp, Amgen, Inc, effective July 7, 2026. Read the full label on DailyMed →
This page is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine.
Conditions named on the label
These condition names appear word for word in the label’s “Indications and Usage” text (matched with a reviewed table). Each page lists hospitals whose own websites name the condition.
Related medical specialties
Boxed warning
A boxed warning (“black box”) is the FDA’s strongest warning on a drug label, for serious or life-threatening risks.
This label has a boxed warning. Read it on the full label →
Forms and how it is given
| Dosage forms | Injection, solution · Solution |
|---|---|
| Route | Intravenous · Subcutaneous |
| Prescription products | 14 in the FDA NDC Directory |
| Brand names | Aranesp |
What pharmacies pay (NADAC)
The National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) is the average price U.S. retail pharmacies paid to buy one unit of a medicine (one tablet, one mL or one gram), from a monthly survey of pharmacy invoices by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). State Medicaid programs use it to pay pharmacies.
This is not the price you pay. What you pay depends on your insurance (copay or coinsurance), your pharmacy and any discounts, and pharmacies also charge for filling a prescription. Ask your pharmacist or your health plan what your price will be.
| Strength and form | Generic or brand | Pharmacies pay |
|---|---|---|
| darbepoetin alfa 25 ug/0.42 mL injection, solution | Brand: Aranesp | $446.90 per mL |
| darbepoetin alfa 40 ug/0.4 mL injection, solution | Brand: Aranesp | $752.44 per mL |
| darbepoetin alfa 60 ug/0.3 mL injection, solution | Brand: Aranesp | $1,500.15 per mL |
NADAC list of November 4, 2026; these prices took effect between May 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026. Shown only where a package’s NDC code matches the NADAC list exactly, and only for that exact strength and form: nothing is averaged across strengths. Strengths and forms not listed here have no NADAC price.
Source: NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) 2026, data.medicaid.gov (CMS) →
Companies that list this medicine
Labelers in the FDA NDC Directory: the company named on the package (maker or distributor), with the number of prescription products.
- Amgen, Inc14 products
FDA approval history
- BLA: Biologics License Application: how a biologic medicine (made from living cells) is approved.
| Application | Sponsor | Approved | Later changes approved |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLA103951 ARANESP | Amgen | September 17, 2001 | 33, latest April 30, 2024 2024: Labeling · 2019: Efficacy · 2018: Labeling |
Shortage status
The FDA drug shortage list does not show these products.
Recalls
No recall linked to these products (by their NDC code) appears in the FDA enforcement reports.
Official identifiers
Sources
- FDA-approved label on DailyMed (National Library of Medicine) — Aranesp, Amgen, Inc, effective July 7, 2026; via openFDA, FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- NDC Directory (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drugs@FDA (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drug recall enforcement reports (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 27, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drug shortages (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
openFDA data is provided by the FDA as is; it may be incomplete. Always rely on the label that comes with your medicine. FDA Enforcement Report search →