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Researchers at the Mayo Clinic say patients taking the drugs Humira or Remicade triple their risk of developing several kinds of cancer, including skin, breast, lung and gastrointestinal tumors and double their risk of developing infections such as tuberculosis and pneumonia.
Merck pulled Vioxx from the market in September 2004 due to cardiovascular safety concerns. Pfizer's Bextra was withdrawn seven months later at the request of regulators and Celebrex has been under scrutiny for its increased risk of heart problems.

The withdrawal of these two members of the COX-2 inhibitor, or coxib, class of analgesics and anti-inflammatories shook the rheumatoid arthritis field and cost the companies dearly in lost revenue.

Remicade is a partially humanized and Humira a fully humanized monoclonal antibody specific for TNF. The drugs neutralize both extra cellular and membrane forms of TNF, a cytokine considered of major importance in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis, the researchers said.

For people with inflammatory conditions who have tried other medications with little success, TNF-alpha inhibitors may provide some relief. Also known as biologic response modifiers, these new prescription drugs block the action of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a protein that's present in larger quantities in your body if you have certain conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn's disease.

Like all medications, TNF-alpha inhibitors may cause side effects that you should consider when deciding to take these drugs. Talk about your concerns with your doctor if you're considering taking these medications.

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