What is Enbrel?
Etanercept, the active ingredient in Enbrel, is a medication that treats inflammation. Enbrel, administered intravenously, treats autoimmune conditions like Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
Enbrel is a TNF (tumor necrosis factor) inhibitor and a part of the biological medication class. It functions by emulating the outcomes that your immune system normally produces. By preventing the molecule that promotes inflammation, TNF, the medication can reduce inflammation in your body.
The FDA has given it the go-ahead for many applications. It is approved for treating rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Additionally, it is employed off-label to treat vasculitis, Crohn’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
What Could the Side Effects of Using Enbrel Be?
Enbrel may diminish your immune system’s capacity to fend off infections. As a result, taking Enbrel can have various adverse effects, such as cancer and serious (and occasionally fatal) infections.
In 2011, the FDA issued a Drug Safety Communication warning that using medications in the class to which Enbrel® belongs can lead to severe infections. Among other forms, these infections may be bacterial, fungal, or viral. Severe infections (such as Legionnaires disease, Listeria, TB, and hepatitis B), malignancies, and diseases that resemble lupus all exhibit an elevated risk after taking Enbrel.
What Further Side Effects Might I Experience?
Additional negative effects that you can encounter include:
- Heart attack
- Breathing difficulty
- Various parts of the body swelling
- Abdominal pain
- Bruising and bleeding
- Liver issues
- Nerve issues (such as multiple sclerosis and seizures)
- Infections of the urinary tract
- Hair loss
Broken Bones and Enbrel
Enbrel attorneys around the nation are presently looking into possible connections between Enbrel and bone fractures. For a free case evaluation, if you fractured a bone while using Enbrel, get in touch with a lawyer immediately.
Other musculoskeletal adverse effects include infective arthritis, back discomfort, and joint pain—at least one instance of septic arthritis brought on by a Listeria monocytogenes bacterial infection.
The following are signs of a shattered bone:
- Bruising, redness, and swelling at the break site
- Unusual circumstances around the shattered bone
- Severe pain that gets worse when you move the bone
- Decline in function
Compound fractures could result in the bone sticking outward from the body.
Cancer and Enbrel
Enbrel’s safety labeling already states that individuals who use this medication may be more likely to develop cancer. This includes skin cancer, lymphoma, leukemia (cancer of the white blood cells), and other cancers.
However, the American Food and Drug Administration has also had many reports of kids getting cancer.
The FDA required pharma companies that produce TNF-blocking drugs to warn about cancer risks after receiving numerous reports of childhood cancer.
Enbrel FDA Notice
Enbrel was initially subject to an FDA warning in November 2008. While histoplasmosis and invasive fungal infections were not specifically mentioned in the safety labeling for Enbrel, information about the risk of infection was. This resulted in a delay in therapy.
The FDA received 21 reports of patients with fungal infections that weren’t treated immediately in September 2008. The illness claimed the lives of 12 of those individuals.
After receiving several reports of cancer in adolescents and young people on TNF-blockers like Enbrel in 2011, the FDA issued its second warning.
After receiving several complaints of cancer connected to youngsters taking the prescription, the FDA issued a warning that TNF-blocker makers, including Enbrel, would be subject to increased safety surveillance. Manufacturers must submit reports to the FDA within 15 days of receiving them, per FDA regulations.
Additionally, the producers will be required to submit annual summaries of customer reports of adverse events to the FDA.
It’s probable that in addition to cancer, this information will also contain bone fractures, opportunistic fungal infections, bacterial infections, and other adverse consequences. This kind of safety monitoring aids health officials in better understanding the kinds of side effects that drugs create when used by the general public.
The Enbrel attorneys on LegalMatch encourage you to inform the FDA of any serious adverse effects you experienced after using Enbrel by completing a MedWatch report. They also urge you to get in touch with them. By bringing an Enbrel lawsuit, a lawyer might be in a position to assist you in becoming compensated for your harm.
I’ve Suffered Unfavorable Side Effects After Taking Enbrel. What’s Next for Me?
Suppose you are taking Enbrel or another drug from the same class (like Remicade, Cimzia, or Humira) and have noticed any of the symptoms mentioned above. In that case, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the Enbrel manufacturer to recover compensation for the harm you sustained as a result of using the medication.
These signs and symptoms have the potential to be severe and occasionally even lethal. You must not disregard them. Contact a lawyer if you have questions about your specific side effects, and how legal action may help you recover due to the losses you’ve experienced.
A Lawyer is Beyond My Means. How Should I Proceed?
Don’t wait any longer to contact a lawyer and receive the representation you need if you have had adverse effects after taking Enbrel, even if you don’t believe you can afford an attorney.
When handling personal injury lawsuits involving harmful medicines, many attorneys are paid on a contingency basis.
This implies that you will only have to pay your lawyer if you prevail. No large down payments or hourly fees are required. Since you don’t have to pay your lawyer anything if they lose your case, hiring a lawyer on a contingency basis also eliminates any financial risk on your part.
Should I Speak with an Attorney?
Living with rheumatoid arthritis is challenging. Life can get quite challenging when you add bad side effects from prescribed medication to treat this sickness. It might be exceedingly challenging to bring a lawsuit against the businesses that make these pharmaceuticals.
The paperwork must be thoroughly completed, deadlines must be met, and procedural guidelines must be followed. Perhaps one mistake can have a detrimental effect on your case and even cause it to be dismissed before you can present your arguments.
Class action attorneys are available to fight your case. These attorneys have expertise in taking on industry titans in the pharmaceutical industry to obtain the reimbursement you are due.
Consult a doctor if you or your child develop major health issues after using Enbrel. You might also want to get in touch with a qualified class action lawyer who can assist you in defending your legal rights and recovering damages for your injuries.
Call a lawyer or complete an online case evaluation form if you think you, a family member, or a loved one may be eligible for compensation due to unfavorable side effects from using Enbrel.
You won’t be charged anything to speak with a lawyer on LegalMatch about the circumstances of your case. Please contact a lawyer if you need assistance.