FDA Looks at Arthritis Meds and Childhood Cancer
A possible link between rheumatoid arthritis medication and the development of cancer in children and young adults is being examined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agency announced Wednesday.
The FDA reports that it is investigating about 30 instances of the development of cancer in children and young adults who began taking "TNF blockers" before the age of 18. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers -- which include the brand name medications Remicade, Enbrel, Humira, and Cimzia -- are used to treat Juvenile Idiopathic (Rheumatoid) Arthritis, Crohn's disease, and other illnesses. FDA states that half the cancers were lymphomas, including both Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. According to Reuters, as part of the study, FDA has "asked the makers of Remicade, Enbrel and Humira for information on all cases of cancer reported in children and young adults treated with the drugs."