For the past five years, there’s been a steady drum beat surrounding epo, the anti-anemia drug called erythropoietin. Independent researchers found that risks surrounding the drugs were higher than company-sponsored studies ever showed.

But this summer, the drum beat grew into a death knell. In June, the FDA recommended that most patients should not be injected with these drugs. After more than 20 years of use, the news hit patient populations in a big way.