Generic name:etanercept [ ee-TAN-er-sept ]
Drug classes:Antirheumatics, TNF alfa inhibitors
What is Enbrel?
Enbrel is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker. It works by decreasing TNF, a protein produced by the immune system to helps the body fight infections. In people with autoimmune disorders, the immune system produces too much TNF and mistakenly attacks healthy cells.
Enbrel is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis, and to prevent joint damage caused by these conditions.
Enbrel is also used to treat polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis in children who are at least 2 years old.
Enbrel is also used to treat plaque psoriasis in adults and children who are at least 4 years old.
Enbrel is sometimes used with another medicine called methotrexate when treating rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.
Warnings
Using Enbrel may increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer, including a rare type of lymphoma. Ask your doctor about your specific risk. This has occurred mainly in teenagers and young adults using Enbrel or similar medicines to treat Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Call your doctor at once if you have any of the following symptoms: fever, night sweats, itching, loss of appetite, weight loss, tiredness, feeling full after eating only a small amount, pain in your upper stomach that may spread to your shoulder, nausea, easy bruising or bleeding, pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart rate, dark uri...
