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romiplostim

Sold as Nplate. First FDA approval 08/22/2008: 18 years on the US market.

This grade answers one narrow question: how strong is the public evidence and safety record behind this drug, and how clean is its money trail and court record? It is not a verdict on whether the drug is right for you.

B

Score breakdown (76/100)

Safety ×35%
B
Evidence ×25%
F
Regulatory ×15%
A
Money & lawsuits ×15%
A
Options ×10%
F

Safety: 87

Evidence: 48

Regulatory history: 95

Money & lawsuits: 100

Options: 40

Independent reviews and post-approval warnings

FDA Drug Safety Communications

Warnings the FDA chose to announce publicly after approval, as opposed to quiet label edits. Class-wide items name the drug's class, not this drug specifically.

What the FDA label says

Approved uses

Nplate is a thrombopoietin receptor agonist indicated for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in: Adult patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who have had an insufficient response to corticosteroids, immunoglobulins, or splenectomy. ( 1.1 ) Pediatric patients 1 year of age and older with ITP for at least 6 months who have had an insufficient response to corticosteroids, immunoglobulins, or splenectomy. ( 1.1 ) Nplate is indicated to increase survival in adults and in pediatric patients (including term neonates) acutely exposed to myelosuppressive doses of radiation (Hematopoietic Syndrome of Acute Radiation Syndrome [HS-ARS]). ( 1.2 ) Limitations of Use: Nplate is not indicated for the treatment of thrombocytopenia due to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or any cause of thrombocytopenia other than ITP. Nplate should be used only in patients with ITP whose degree of thrombocytopenia and clinical condition increases the risk for bleeding. Nplate should not be used in an attempt to normalize platelet counts. ( 1 ) 1.1 Patients with Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) Nplate is indicated for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in: Adult patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who have ha...

Contraindications

None. None ( 4 )

Warnings and precautions

In some patients with MDS, Nplate increases blast cell counts and increases the risk of progression to acute myelogenous leukemia. ( 5.1 ) Thrombotic/thromboembolic complications have resulted from increases in platelet counts with Nplate use. Portal vein thrombosis has been reported in patients with chronic liver disease receiving Nplate. ( 5.2 ) Severe thrombocytopenia may persist during Nplate treatment due to neutralizing antibodies or other causes. ( 5.3 ) 5.1 Risk of Progression of Myelodysplastic Syndromes to Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Progression from myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) has been observed in adult clinical trials with Nplate. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolling adult patients with severe thrombocytopenia and International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) low or intermediate-1 risk MDS was terminated due to more cases of AML observed in the Nplate arm. This trial consisted of a 58-week study period with a 5-year long-term follow-up phase. The patients were randomized 2:1 to treatment with Nplate or placebo (167 Nplate, 83 placebo). During the 58-week study period, progression to AML occurred in 10 (6....

Adverse reactions (label)

The following clinically significant adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections: Progression of Myelodysplastic Syndromes [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Thrombotic/Thromboembolic Complications [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Loss of Response to Nplate [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] In adult patients, the most common adverse reactions (≥ 5% higher patient incidence in Nplate versus placebo) are arthralgia, dizziness, insomnia, myalgia, pain in extremity, abdominal pain, shoulder pain, dyspepsia, and paresthesia. Headache was the most commonly reported adverse reaction that did not occur at ≥ 5% higher patient incidence in Nplate versus placebo. ( 6.1 ) In pediatric patients, the most common adverse reactions (≥ 25%) are: contusion, upper respiratory tract infection, and oropharyngeal pain. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Amgen Inc. at 1-800-77-AMGEN (1-800-772-6436) or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rat...

Recent major label changes

Warnings and Precautions, Thrombotic/Thromboembolic Complications ( 5.2 ) 02/2025 Warnings and Precautions, Loss of Response to Nplate ( 5.3 ) 02/2025

Source: FDA SPL label for Nplate (Amgen, Inc), effective 20260623. Full label on DailyMed.

Side-effect reports sent to the FDA

These are counts of reports people filed, not rates of harm. Anyone can file one, and nobody checks whether the drug was the cause. Millions of doses are taken for every report sent, so the useful part is how this drug compares with the average across all drugs.

9,202reports that mention this drug
9,200of those blame this drug, not another one the person was taking
66%of reports describe a serious outcome, such as a hospital stay (average for all drugs: 57%)
12.2%of reports include a death, from any cause (average for all drugs: 9.1%)

Problems reported most often

Off Label Use · 1,251Platelet Count Decreased · 1,101Platelet Count Abnormal · 744Drug Ineffective · 689Thrombocytopenia · 536Death · 435Headache · 428Product Storage Error · 345Fatigue · 320Therapy Non-Responder · 276Thrombocytosis · 259Nausea · 258Platelet Count Increased · 246Circumstance Or Information Capable Of Leading To Medication Error · 238Haemorrhage · 238

Reports per year

20192020202120222023202420252026
643558553605826790684464

Source: the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports are voluntary and unverified. Drugs that are prescribed a lot, in the news, or in lawsuits attract more reports, so the percentages are compared with the whole database to correct for that partly, not fully.

Recalls and regulatory record

0recall actions on file
0 / 0brand / generic applications
0label changes since 2021
NoREMS program

Evidence base

34randomized trials (PubMed)
11systematic reviews
123registered trials
54%of completed trials posted results
11%terminated or withdrawn
51%industry-funded

Counts measure how much evidence exists and how transparent it is, not how big the benefit is. For that, ask your prescriber: if 100 people like me took this, how many would get better because of it, and how many would be harmed? (Doctors call these the "number needed to treat" and "number needed to harm.") It differs by condition and is the number drug ads leave out. Sources: PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov.

Money and lawsuits

In 2024, drug companies reported $77,090 in payments to US physicians and hospitals tied to this drug across 110 transactions (Nplate $77,090).

No pending federal MDL names this drug or its brands.

Not named in any federal pharmaceutical settlement of $100M or more on record.

Sources: CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act); Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation pending docket list; DOJ settlements as tabulated on Wikipedia with links to the primary record. State-court and individual suits are not included.

Who takes it and what it costs

285Medicare Part D patients (2024)
1,734prescriptions filled
$10,164average cost per fill
$18Mtotal Medicare spend

Same-class alternatives

No same-class alternatives found in RxClass.

Questions to ask your prescriber

  1. In 2011 the FDA issued a safety communication about this drug (Nplate and Promacta - Modified Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for Nplate (romiplostim) and P). Does that risk apply to me?
  2. The most-reported problems in FDA's adverse event data are platelet count decreased, platelet count abnormal. How would we recognize and handle those?
  3. Off-label use is among the most-reported items for this drug. Is my use on-label, and if not, what evidence supports it?
  4. There is no generic. Is there an older generic in the same class that works as well for my situation?
  5. What result are we expecting, by when, and what is the plan if it does not happen?
  6. If 100 people like me took this drug, how many would actually get better because of it, and how many would be harmed by it? (Doctors call these the number needed to treat and the number needed to harm.)