Enbrel (Etanercept) for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Overview
Enbrel is a prescription drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. Enbrel is also referred to by its drug name, etanercept.

Enbrel is considered a biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD). Enbrel is believed to work by attaching to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), a chemical messenger involved in autoimmune attacks. Enbrel binds to TNF-α and prevents it from signaling the immune system to attack the connective tissues.

How do I take it?
Enbrel is injected twice a week for the first three months. After the first three months, it is injected once a week. Your doctor or nurse will train you to prepare and inject Enbrel. After you have received training, you will be able to inject it by yourself at home.

Enbrel is available as a single-use prefilled syringe or autoinjector and multi-use vial.

Side effects
The FDA-approved label for Enbrel lists common side effects including infections and injection site reactions.

Rare but serious side effects listed for Enbrel include severe infections, nerve disorders such as multiple sclerosis and Guillain-Barré syndrome, heart failure, low blood cell counts, hepatitis B virus reactivation, severe allergic reaction, and increased risk for lymphoma and other cancers.

Tell your doctor immediately if you experience unexplained weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, or easy bruising or bleeding while taking Enbrel.

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Enbrel — Amgen
https://www.enbrel.com

Enbrel — RxList
https://www.rxlist.com/enbrel-drug.htm