To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: EULAR: Enbrel (Etanercept) Effective In Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis And Psoriasis URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/1FE2D6.htm Doctor's Guide June 14, 2001
By Thomas Buckingham
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC -- June 14, 2001 -- Results were presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) meeting showing the efficacy of Enbrel (etanercept) for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Dr. P.J. Mease, Clinical Rheumatology, a rheumatologist with Minor and James Medical, in Seattle, Washington, said psoriasis affects 2 to 3 percent of the population and of these 7 to 25 percent have psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Results from a previously published 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 60 patients with PsA and psoriasis (Mease PJ. Lancet 2000;356:385-90) showed that Enbrel was well tolerated and provided clinically significant benefit to patients with PsA and psoriasis.
The purpose of the present study was to examine the drug's effect in these same patients in a longer-term open-label study.
Fifty-eight patients received open-label Enbrel in a 24-week extension study and were evaluated according to PsA response criteria (PsARC) and American College of Rheumatology criteria. Thirty-seven patients with psoriasis were evaluated using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI).
The original Enbrel patients sustained their improvement in both PsA and psoriasis and the original placebo patients improved after they began receiving Enbrel.
Most (81 percent) patients achieved the PsARC at 36 weeks and 55 percent achieved ACR 50 response. The patients with psoriasis (n = 37) achieved median improvements of 62 percent in the PASI.
Twenty-eight patients were taking concomitant methotrexate (MTX) at baseline. Many (43 percent) have decreased their methotrexate dose and 25 percent have discontinued methotrexate. Eighteen patients were on corticosteroids at baseline. Most (67 percent) have decreased their dose and 44 percent have discontinued steroids.
Enbrel was found to be well tolerated, with no serious adverse events or infections and no increase in adverse events with longer exposure, Dr. Mease said.
Enbrel was safe and effective in reducing the signs and symptoms of PsA and psoriasis during 36 weeks of treatment, he concluded.
SOURCE: PeerView Press --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.