Etanercept, sold commercially as Enbrel, is a drug injected subcutaneously, under the skin. Enbrel blocks the action of tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, which helps produce immune responses and inflammation in the body, Drugs.com states. TNF is overproduced in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, the Rosalind Russell Medical Research Center for Arthritis reports. Enbrel effectively treats some autoimmune diseases characterized by inflammation and overactive immune reactions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Enbrel also can increase the risk of developing serious infection due to its immunosuppressive action. The risks and benefits need careful consideration.
Reducing Joint Symptoms
In clinical trials, Enbrel reduced the amount of swelling, tenderness and radiographic evidence of joint destruction in affected joints. Improvement appeared within one to two weeks after starting the drug, with 23 percent experiencing major improvement over a two-year period, according to Drugs.com. Stopping the drug resulted in a return of symptoms within a month. X-rays of affected joints showed no disease progression after 12 months in 63 percent of people taking Enbrel alone and in 76 percent of those taking Enbrel in combination with methotrexate.
Similar results occurred in children taking Enbrel in clinical trials for polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), with 24 percent of those taking Enbrel experiencing a flare-up of the disease as compared with 77 percent of those taking a placebo, Drugs.com also reported.
Improving Psoriasis
A study reported in the November 20, 2003 issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine" by lead author Craig Leonardi, M.D., found that Enbrel significantly improved symptoms of psoriasis, an inflammatory skin disorder that affects around 2 percent of the world's population. After 24 weeks on Enbrel, an improvement of 75 percent or more was seen in 22 percent of the group receiving low-dose Enbrel, in 44 percent of those receiving medium-dose Enbrel and in 59 percent of those receiving high-dose Enbrel.
Increasing Quality of Life
Leonardi reported significant improvement in the quality of life in patients in low-, medium- and high-dose categories based on the Dermatology Life Quality Index. After 12 weeks, mean improvement ranged from 47.2 percent for the low-dose group to 61 percent for the high-dose group, compared with 10.9 percent for the placebo group. Testing also revealed improvement in patients with psoriatic arthritis, with pain decreasing on a one to five average, with five being the highest, from three to one, compared with no change in those taking a placebo. On the disability index, ranging from one to three, with three being the highest degree of disability, people taking Enbrel reported a decrease from one to 0.3, compared to no change in the placebo group.
