Possible Health Dangers of Enbrel, Humira, and Remicade Defective Drug Cases in the Ohio Area
Columbus, Ohio
Enbrel (Etanercept), Humira (Adalimumab), and Remicade (Infliximab) are all considered tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers, or anti-TNF drugs. These drugs are used to treat autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, in which the body creates too much TNF. As sales of these drugs have grown, so have concerns about their dangerous drug side effects.
Uses for the Drugs
The most common use for the biologic response modifiers Enbrel, Humira, and Remicade is as treatments for various forms of arthritis and other autoimmune disorders. The drugs are often prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis in adults, and are sometimes prescribed to children in order to treat juvenile idiopathic arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohns’ disease. Since the withdrawal of Raptiva, they are also seeing increased use for psoriasis.
Side Effects and FDA Warnings
Enbrel, Humira, and Remicade have had a long history of extreme side effects. Besides more common injection site reactions with the injectable forms of the drugs, the most serious side effect is an increased risk for infections. One of the more common and dangerous infections is tuberculosis (TB). In global studies, almost 1 in every 100 Enbrel user contracted TB. This caused the FDA to place a black box warning on Enbrel, alerting users to the link between the drug and infections such as TB. A “black box warning” is the FDA’s strictest and most severe type of warning it can place on prescription drug packaging.
Another black box warning describes the risk of histoplasmosis and other deadly fungal infections. These fungal infections begin by attacking the lungs, causing coughing (that may produce blood), fever, and fatigue. If untreated these fungal infections can spread throughout the body and become fatal. People living in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys are at a higher risk of these deadly fungal infections.
Other dangerous side effects include:
- Allergic reactions
- High fever
- Itching and rashes
- Neurological complications
Lymphoma and Other Cancers
Perhaps even more disturbing than the previously mentioned side effects is the link between these drugs and cancers in children, such as lymphoma and leukemia. Since the drugs hit the market in 1998, over 30 cases of these cancers have been reported. The FDA has placed warnings about a possible link to cancer on the drugs’ packaging, and forced a fourth, similar drug, Cimzia, to conduct a ten-year test into the possible link between these drugs and deadly cancers in children and young adults. The FDA has also asked the makers of these drugs to make public all information they have on possible future cancer cases in patients taking these drugs.
Protecting You
If you or a loved one has suffered a dangerous side effect from taking Enbrel, Remicade, Humira, or another TNF-blocker, please contact the Ohio pharmaceutical injury law firm of Robert W. Kerpsack CO., L.P.A. to set up a free consultation.
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