Rimicade may increase blood cancer risks.

[MaryH]

I just read where the FDA tried to water down the bad news about Vioxx. That is bad enough.

Last nite the news talked about warnings for other arthritis drugs in the same family. They all could increase stroke and heart attack. No one has done tests so its kind of hard to be sure.

Now I just read where Rimicade may increase blood cancer risk. It is for rheumatoid arthritis and produced by Johnson and Johnson.

So, how many more of these drugs that the FDA has let through are really dangerous in the long term?

I am getting where I don't trust anyone.

[MallRat]

1. Remicade-lymphoma connection has been known for a while.

In clinical trials, Remicade showed slightly increased risk for lymphoma vs. placebo. However, I believe they couldn't definitively establish whether it was Remicade that was responsible or that people with rheumatoid arthritis have slightly elevated risk to begin with.

Nevertheless, the manufacturer is deeming it necessary to put out an explicit warning now. I'll need to read more about what precipitated this.

-MR

[MaryH]

2. The article said

that people taking Rimicaid have 3 times the risk - which may not really be all that high. But they are worried about other drugs in the same family, too.