Enbrel Flashcards

Enbrel Overview

• Enbrel's generic name is etanercept; it belongs to the TNF blocker drug class.
• Effective for treating various medical conditions.

Clinical Trials

• Phase 1 study for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) began in 1993, marking the start of extensive clinical research.
• Over 100 global trials conducted for multiple indications.

Indications

• Treats rheumatoid arthritis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and plaque psoriasis.
• Applicable to both adult and pediatric patients.

Safety Concerns

• Increased risk of serious infections, potentially leading to hospitalization or death.

Side Effects

• Common side effects include headache, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, weakness, cough, and injection site reactions (redness, itching, pain, swelling).

Dosing Guidelines

• Adult dosing starts with 50 mg twice weekly for 3 months, followed by a maintenance dose of 50 mg weekly thereafter.
• Dosing varies based on specific indications.

Administration Methods

• Can be administered via syringe or the SureClick autoinjector.

Mechanism of Action

• Enbrel acts as a soluble TNF receptor and is constructed as a dimeric fusion protein combining TNFR and the Fc portion of human IgG1.

Safety Profile

• Established safety profile in rheumatology settings, indicating a beneficial risk-to-benefit ratio for patients.

Pediatric Considerations

• Approximately half of reported malignancies in patients starting therapy at 18 years or younger were lymphomas, affecting both Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's types.

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

• Worsening CHF or new-onset cases reported; caution advised for CHF patients, requiring careful monitoring.

Drug Interactions

• Concurrent use with cyclophosphamide not recommended due to increased infection risk.
• Avoid combination therapy with abatacept and anakinra.

Cost and Patient Assistance

• Offers a savings card to enable patients to obtain Enbrel for $0.
• The Safety Net Foundation provides Enbrel for free to uninsured or underinsured patients who qualify.