Enbrel® (etanercept) Recommended In UK For Adults With Active And Progressive Psoriatic Arthritis By NICE

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Main Category: Eczema / Psoriasis
Also Included In: Dermatology;  Regulatory Affairs / Drug Approvals;  Arthritis / Rheumatology
Article Date: 14 Jun 2010 - 0:00 PDT

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NICE (The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) has recommended Enbrel® (etanercept) as a treatment option for adults with active and progressive psoriatic arthritis. NICE makes recommendations to the NHS (National Health Service) on new and existing medicines, treatments and procedures, and treating and caring for people with specific diseases and conditions. For UK patients a NICE recommendation can be the difference between getting a therapy free (or heavily subsidized medication) in the universal healthcare NHS, or having to pay for it.

This guidance was published in NICE's Final Appraisal Determination (FAD)¹ and states that etanercept should be offered as an option when the individual has arthritis with at least 3 tender joints and at least 3 swollen joints; and at least two other disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), given on their own or together, have not worked.

Psoriatic arthritis is a progressive disabling disease that has significant impact on the patient's quality of life, both from arthritis and associated skin disease.^2,3,4

Etanercept has shown reliable improvements in the psoriatic arthritis response criteria (PsARC) and the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) a composite index of psoriatic severity and extent.⁵

Dr Volker Koscielny, Inflammatory Medical Team Lead at Pfizer said:

We welcome NICE's final guidance, which will provide clinicians with the choice to prescribe the appropriate treatment based on individual patient need.

The NICE Final Appraisal Determination declares that etanercept, infliximab and adalimumab are recommended for the treatment of adult patients with active and progressive psoriatic arthritis.

About Enbrel

Enbrel is a fully human soluble tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor antagonist. Enbrel was first approved in 1998 for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis and has since been used in 505,000 patients worldwide across indications.

Click here for more information in Enbrel.

Enbrel is approved for the following indications:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Plaque psoriasis

References

1 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Final appraisal determination. Etanercept, infliximab and adalimumab for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (review of technology appraisal guidance 104 and 125)
2 Husted JA et al. Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis: A Comparison With Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arth Care Res 2001; 45:151-158
3 McKenna et al. Development of the PsAQoL: a quality of life instrument specific to psoriatic arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2004; 63(2):162-169
4 Sokoll KB et al. Comparison of disability and quality of life in rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. J Rheum 2001; 28(8):1842-1846
5 Mease P et al. Etanercept Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis. Arth Rheum 2004; 50(7):2264-2272

Source: Pfizer

Written by Christian Nordqvist


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