A new study on the safety of two arthritis drugs, Remicade (infliximab) and Enbrel (etanercept), indicates the medications may be associated with the development of lymphoma. The study, conducted by researchers with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Cancer Institute in Maryland, identified 26 reports of lymphoma following the administration of the two medications between May 1999 and December 2000 and another 68 cases following administration between November 2001 and September 2002.

According to FDA officials, Remicade and Enbrel use have a "probable or possible" link to the development of the disorder in these cases. The study, which appears in this month's issue of the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism, reveals that several patients' lymphoma regressed once treatment with the medications discontinued. Scientists involved in the study say more research is necessary before a definite conclusion on the drugs' link to lymphoma can be made.