Enbrel (Amgen/Pfizer) shows clear benefits for patients with moderately active Rheumatoid Arthritis

Results from a multi-centre trial in patients with moderately active Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)showed that the percentage who maintained low disease activity or achieved clinical remission at week 88 was significantly higher in those receiving Enbrel (etanercept), from Amgen and Pfizer) plus methotrexate (MTX) than those on MTX alone. Patients with moderately active RA represent the largest RA population, yet they have not been widely studied and PRESERVE is the largest completed clinical trial of a biologic therapy in adults with moderately active RA, despite MTX treatment. In the trial, the percentage of patients maintaining LDA at week 88 was significantly higher in the Enbrel 50mg QW (82.6 percent, primary endpoint) and Enbrel 25mg QW (79.1 percent, conditional primary endpoint) treatment groups than the MTX- alone group (42.6 percent, P<0.0001 versus either enbrel group. the fda and the ema recommended dose for enbrel for the treatment of moderate to severe ra is 50mg qw. additionally for das 28 clinical remission das28><2.6) haq>< 0.5,ACR20/50/70, and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) good response, the percentage of patients who achieved these secondary endpoints was significantly higher in the Enbrel treatment groups than the MTX-alone group (P<0.05). preserve was led by josef s. smolen chairman of the department of rheumatology medical university of vienna austria. these results will be presentated at the 2011 american college of rheumatology annual scientific meeting.>