Previous studies have suggested that the rheumatoid arthritis drugs, Humira and Remicade, are associated with an increased risk of lymphoma, a type of cancer of the lymphatic system. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation in the joints, leading to chronic pain, deformities and disability. Humira and Remicade are drugs which block the production of Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a protein linked with inflammation. Now research reports that Humira and Remicade also increase the risk of other types of cancer (including skin, gastrointestinal, breast and lung tumors) as well as serious infections.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, investigated the extent to which anti-TNF antibodies drugs, infliximab (Humera) and adalimumab (Remicade), may increase the risk of cancer and infections in RA patients. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, analyzed data from nine studies comparing 3,493 RA patients who received Humira or Remicade with 1,512 patients who received placebos, for 12 weeks or more.
The researchers found that there were 29 cancers in the drug group, compared with 3 cancers in the placebo group. Furthermore, cancer was significantly more common in patients treated with higher doses of anti-TNF antibodies drugs than those receiving lower doses. Findings also revealed that there were 126 serious infections (including pneumonia and cellulitis) in the drug group, compared with 26 infections in the placebo group.
"There is evidence of an increased risk of serious infections and a dose-dependent increased risk of malignancies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with anti-TNF antibody therapy," the study authors write. "The formal meta-analysis with pooled sparse adverse events data from randomized controlled trials serves as a tool to assess harmful drug effects."
REFERENCES:
1. Bongartz T et al. Anti-TNF antibody therapy in rheumatoid arthritis and the risk of serious infections and malignancies: systematic review and meta-analysis of rare harmful effects in randomized controlled trials. JAMA 2006 May 17;295(19):2275-85.
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on October 27, 2006 02:04 PM
