The drug Enbrel (also known by its generic name etanercept) is a TNF-alpha inhibitor that was approved for people with psoriatic arthritis in January 2002 and for moderate-to-severe psoriasis in April 2004. In November 2016, the psoriasis indication was extended to include pediatric patients ages 4 years and older. In 2023, Enbrel was approved for the treatment of active juvenile psoriatic arthritis (JPsA) in pediatric patients 2 years of age and older. It is also approved for treating rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Enbrel is given by injection under the skin once a week for patients with psoriatic arthritis. For adults with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, Enbrel is administered twice weekly by injections under the skin for 3 months, and then a maintenance dose once per week. Enbrel is administered weekly in pediatric patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis.
To learn more, please visit the Enbrel website.
Biosimilars for Enbrel
A biosimilar is a medication that is highly similar to an existing FDA-approved biologic medicine (aka reference product). Biosimilars have the same strength, dosage, potential benefits, and side effects as the reference product and are administered the same way. Biosimilars still must be FDA-approved.
