In a press release today, Immunex Corporation revealed that a new study shows the controversial rheumatoid arthritis medication Enbrel is safe and effective. According to the drug maker, of 629 patients using Enbrel for five years, 70 percent responded successfully to the drug. Enbrel also seemed to be well tolerated by patients over the five-year analysis period. Furthermore, Immunex data indicated that the infection rate of the drug was comparable to a placebo.

Although medical experts say the new report is encouraging news for Enbrel's future, several health officials are still skeptical of its reliability. Earlier this year, the FDA announced that at least six people taking Enbrel had died and some twenty-four others had been hospitalized. In February, researchers at Rush Medical College in Chicago revealed that Enbrel may be associated with the development of lupus. Immunex, along with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, markets Enbrel in the United States.