Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, and Cimzia, known as TNF-blockers can be an effective treatment that gives quick and lasting relief for the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. It is not a cure, but it can improve the quality of life for some sufferers and reduce the damage suffered to joints during rheumatoid arthritis attacks. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and plaque psoriasis with these drugs can come at a very high cost, though, as the drug has dangerous, even deadly side effects.

 

Deadly Infections Related to Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, Cimzia and Simponi Use

 

Like Raptiva®, Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, Cimzia and Simponi work by suppressing a function of the immune system that contributes to autoimmune disorders. Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks one or more tissues in the body. By suppressing parts of the immune response, TNF-blockers reduce the frequency and severity of attacks of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and related autoimmune disorders.

 

Unfortunately, TNF-blockers do not specifically target the autoimmune response, but instead suppress the entire immune system to some degree. This means that people using this type of medication are at increased risk for many types of infections.

 

Infections that have been linked to TNF-blockers like Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, and Cimzia have killed at least 45 people. The most important infections reported to the FDA include tuberculosis and fungal infections, including histoplasmosis.

 

Tuberculosis and Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, Cimzia and Simponi Use

 

People who have had tuberculosis in the past are warned that the immune system suppression resulting from Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, or Cimzia use can lead to reactivation of the disease. If you have traveled to areas where tuberculosis is common, be aware that you may be infected with dormant bacteria that can become active and exploit your suppressed immune system. Be aware of the symptoms of tuberculosis:

• Fever, dry cough, and visible cloudiness on a chest x-ray are symptoms of primary pulmonary tuberculosis
• Dry cough, chest pain, and fever are symptoms of pleural tuberculosis an infection of the space between the lung and the lining of the abdominal cavity
• Miliary tuberculosis occurs when the bacteria spread through the blood to other parts of the body and is characterized by fever, weakness, loss of appetite, and weight loss

 

The symptoms for tuberculosis are obviously nonspecific, so it is best to see your doctor immediately if you experience fever or any other symptoms of infection while taking Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, or Cimzia.

 

Histoplasmosis and other Fungal Infections Related to Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, and Cimzia Use

 

Histoplasmosis is the most deadly of many types of fungal infections that can be worsened as a result of suppression of the immune system by Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, or Cimzia. The fungus responsible for histoplasmosis is most common in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, but it can occur in other parts of the country as well. Symptoms of pulmonary histoplasmosis include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Night sweats
• A cough that may bring up blood

 

Sometimes the fungus spreads through the body, leading to disseminated histoplasmosis, whose symptoms include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Anemia
• Pneumonia
• Pericarditis
• Meningitis
• Ulcers in the mouth or intestines

 

Untreated histoplasmosis can be fatal. Because these symptoms are often nonspecific, they are often overlooked by doctors, which was one of the motivating factors behind the FDA's decision to add the black box warning to the drug label. If your doctor's failure to recognize histoplasmosis or any other infection until it was too late, you may consider a medical negligence lawsuit in addition to a pharmaceutical injury claim.

 

Congestive Heart Failure

 

Originally, makers of Enbrel®, the first TNF-blocker to be approved, thought it could be used as a treatment for congestive heart failure, but early trials were stopped because it seemed to be doing the opposite: increasing the risk of congestive heart failure.  Other TNF-blockers like Humira®, Remicade®, and Cimzia have not been studied for this risk, but it is assumed.

 

Cancers Related to Enbrel® Use

 

The FDA has not yet mandated a "black box" warning for cancer risks associated with Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, or Cimzia use, but it is investigating reports of many types of cancers that have been attributed to Enbrel® use, including leukemia, lymphoma, and other types of cancers reported among children and young adults using Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, or Cimzia. Lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system, makes up about half the reported cases among young people. In clinical trials, other types of cancers reported include:

• Colon
• Breast
• Lung
• Prostate

 

Most of these were reported to be similar in distribution to what was expected in the general population, although many of the trials using Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, or Cimzia had control groups too small to make firm conclusions about the possible effects of TNF-blockers on cancer rates.

 

Demyelinating Disorders and Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, or Cimzia Use

 

Although it is a treatment for autoimmune disorders, Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, and Cimzia may also contribute to the onset or worsening of autoimmune disorders, including demyelinating disorders. Myelin is the material that sheaths many nerve fibers in the body. It aids in the transmission of nerve signals, and when it is lost, both sensory and control impulses can be disrupted. Forms of demyelinating disorder associated with Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, and Cimzia use include: multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, and optic neuritis. Symptoms of demyelinating disorders include:

• Visual symptoms like blurred or double vision, color blindness, eye pain, jerky eye movements, and blindness
• Sudden back pain
• Muscle weakness
• Abnormal sensations
• Twitching
• Paralysis
• Loss of bowel control

 

Depending on the severity of your attack, you may recover from demyelinating disorders, or you may have a permanent disability. You may also suffer a progressive degeneration or repeated attacks.

 

Compensation for Your Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, or Cimzia Injuries

 

If you have suffered a serious injury as a result of Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, or Cimzia use, you may have incurred costly medical expenses, have lost wages, or developed a permanent disability. If someone you love suffered the injury, he or she may be lost to you forever. No matter what degree of injury you suffered, you deserve compensation for your injuries.

 

To get the best possible compensation for your Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, or Cimzia injuries, work with a team of pharmaceutical injury attorneys with the experience, knowledge, and recognized leadership to take on big pharmaceutical companies. Schlichter, Bogard & Denton has a track record of successful pharmaceutical injury litigation, and stands ready to help clients in all 50 states. Schedule a free, no-obligation Enbrel®, Remicade®, Humira®, or Cimzia injury consultation with our attorneys today.