A cancer drug called rituximab that is commonly prescribed for lymphomas may be giving some patients a gnawing problem: a virus in the brain that eats away at nerve tissue.

It’s the third in its class to be linked to progressive multifocal leuokoencephalitis, along with Raptiva which was pulled from shelves in April, and Tysabri which also spent time off the market.

Researchers at the Feinberg School of Medicine collaborated with others in the RADAR project to try and find patterns among sporadic reports that some people were developing PML.

Fatalities were reported in 57 cases studied by the scientists.

"People have been lulled into a false sense of security that this drug is harmless and that it only does good things," said lead author Dr Charles Bennett.

He also wants further research to better define the link between the drug and the brain virus, as well as to develop an idea of who may be at risk.

Resveratrol supplements which come from wine, or the libation itself, may prove beneficial for those suffering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to Yale School of Public Health researchers who found that it increased survivability.