Enbrel treatment for psoriasis
Enbrel (etanercept) is currently used to treat plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Marketed by Amgen and Pfizer, it received its first FDA approval in 1998. In clinical trials, one-half of patients experienced a 75% reduction in psoriasis severity (PASI 75) after 12 weeks of twice weekly treatments. In addition, about one-third of the patients who did not achieve 75% improvement by week 12 did so by week 24. Also, one-fifth of patients achieved a 90% improvement by week 12.
How is it administered? Enbrel is administered by self-injection under the skin twice weekly for 12 weeks, and once weekly thereafter (although some patients are continued on the twice-weekly dose).
Advantages Enbrel is considered to have a favorable balance between benefit and risk, and brings dramatic improvement to many psoriasis patients safely. More than 10 years have passed since its first FDA approval, and with more than 600,000 patients treated worldwide for various diseases, it has a significant track record that the medical community can use to assess its potential risks. In addition, some patients have been on Enbrel continuously for RA for more than 10 years, a significant milestone in safe, extended duration of a serious treatment.
Drawbacks Like all of the TNF-inhibitors, Enbrel has the potential to cause the rare but serious side effects described here.
How does it work? Enbrel (etanercept) consists of two copies of part of the TNF-alpha receptor, the natural binding site for TNF-alpha, joined to a portion of a human antibody. The TNF-alpha receptor portion of Enbrel binds and neutralizes TNF-alpha, reducing the excess inflammatory TNF-alpha found in psoriasis patients.
Payment assistance
The companies that market this treatment are among those that have programs to help people afford their treatments. Learn more here: Psoriasis Prescription Payment Assistance Programs.
[More info: Enbrel website.]
[More info: Biologics for psoriasis.]
[More info: Psoriasis Treatments.]
