Effectiveness Combined with Impressive Safety Record: Enbrel (etanercept) was one of the first biologics. It was introduced for rheumatoid arthritis in 1998. In 2002, it was approved for use in psoriatic arthritis and finally, for plaque type psoriasis in 2004.
Who Should Take This Drug?: Enbrel is approved for adults with plaque type psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. It is also approved for rheumatoid arthritis in adults and children as young as 4 -- a testament of sorts to is overall safety.
Which Patients Should Avoid This Drug?: Patients with serious infections, tuberculosis, hepatitis B or sepsis should avoid this drug. Caution should also be used in anyone with a demyelinating disorder (diseases such as multiple sclerosis, optic neuritis and others) as well as patients with a history of serious blood problems, such as low blood counts or aplastic anemia.
What are the Side Effects of Enbrel?: In psoriasis clinical trials, etanercept showed no higher incidence of serious adverse events, serious infections, TB or opportunistic infections than placebo.
all data is on file with Amgen for the above mentioned clinical trials.
