Get Informed: Enbrel

85

Patient Comments About
Enbrel

Active Ingredient(s)

Etanercept

What does it do?

Enbrel

This product is used primarily in the treatment of arthritis. It binds to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) to decrease inflammatory and immune responses.

Last Text Update:
 2010-Jul-31 2:09 PM
Last Data Update:
 2010-Jul-30 9:00 PM

Other Names

  • Enbrel
  • Etanercept

How Safe Is It?

Your Risk Rating
Please log in
Average Risk Rating
2:
Pregnancy Category
B

Black Box Warning

This product has a black box warning relating to potentially fatal infections, including tuberculosis.This product also has a black box warning relating to an increased risk of Lymphoma and other cancers when used in children and adolescents.

Facts & Figures

Date Approved
02 Nov 1998
Est US Patients*
1,486,000
Generic Available
No
OTC Available
No

User Age Distribution*

17

< 21

41

21-39

29

40-59

14

60+

Age (Years)

* Estimated number of US people currently taking Enbrel or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.

Other Resources

Recent alerts for Enbrel

Enbrel Safety Report

2:

The iGuard risk rating for Enbrel is orange. This rating takes into account the fact that Enbrel has been associated with an increased risk of serious infections. It means that should normally be used cautiously to minimize the risk of serious side effects.

Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings

  • Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Enbrel interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.

What is Enbrel used for?

iGuard is currently tracking more than 11,000 patients that use Enbrel (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.

Disease / Condition % Average Severity
Rheumatoid Arthritis 53% mild 6 severe
Psoriasis 34% mild 6 severe
Psoriatic Arthritis 34% mild 6 severe
Ankylosing Spondylitis 3% mild 3 severe

How well does Enbrel work?

iGuard regularly polls our more than 11,000 users taking Enbrel (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iGuard.org.

Average Satisfaction Score

(out of 10)

Average Effectiveness Score

(out of 10)

72 78
87%
of patients are confident that the good things about Enbrel outweigh the bad things.
6%
of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Enbrel.

Common Side Effects of Enbrel

iGuard regularly polls our more than 11,000 users taking Enbrel (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.

22%

22% of patients experience side-effects on Enbrel

3%

3% of patients experience significant side-effects on Enbrel


Most Common Side Effects...

  • 10% Injection Site Reactions
  • 5% Swelling/Edema
  • 5% Nasal/Sinus Congestion
  • 5% Itch/Rash
  • = 10%

Global Patient Feedback for Enbrel (Etanercept) ( Post a comment )

Comments, Questions, and Answers
Show Newest | Oldest first
English comments | Global comments

Question/Comment:

Thank you for your reply, yes my insurance company says that I must get the enbrel mail order. I was talking to an Amgen employee, who said that they freeze it in large quantities and ship it to Porto Rico to be put into syringes. I guess that means that is OK to freeze it once. Can you check? Also if that is the case and I am worried about frozen enbrel in the winter, maybe I would be better off asking my MD for a prescription for it in a bottle and loading the syringes myself. Any thoughts?

54 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-06-16 14:58:42

Question/Comment:

Frozen Enbrel anyone? I think I received frozen enbrel last winter from a mail order pharmacy. Does anyone know a way to test enbrel to see if it is still active. Does anyone know if it is still active after freezing? I called Amgen's enbrel support line and they were not helpful. I did a test and It is clear that if the styrofoam cooler stays below freezing for a few hours that the contents freeze. The medicine stopped working for the 3 months I had that shipment, then when I received a new shipment this Spring I was much better. Any thoughts or ideas?

54 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-06-14 22:04:39

iGuard Answer/Reply:

Enbrel should be stored under refrigeration - it should not be frozen. If you receive it frozen from your mail order pharmacy, you should follow up with them. It is the mail order pharmacy's responsibility to ensure the proper storage temperature while the Enbrel is in transit to you. If they are unable to ship it properly, then you may want to find a local pharmacy that will carry and dispense the product for you. If your insurance company requires that you use a mail order pharmayc, you should inform your insurance company about the incorrect temperature of the medicine during shipment.

Posted: 2010-06-15 12:56:06

Answer/Reply:

Thank you for your reply, yes my insurance company says that I must get the enbrel mail order. I was talking to an Amgen employee, who said that they freeze it in large quantities and ship it to Porto Rico to be put into syringes. I guess that means that is OK to freeze it once. Can you check? Also if that is the case and I am worried about frozen enbrel in the winter, maybe I would be better off asking my MD for a prescription for it in a bottle and loading the syringes myself. Any thoughts?

54 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-06-15 20:39:39

Question/Comment:

I have been on enbrel for at least for 4 yrs. Oct 2009 I was diagnosed with stage 3 malignant melanoma. Has anyone else reported getting melanoma while using enbrel?

38 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-05-31 15:50:04

Question/Comment:

I've been on Enbrel now a whopping 3 weeks, for RA. I was VERY hesitant to try it, as I had a horrid reaction to methotrexate. Finally gave in to the Enbrel and experienced joint agony RELIEF almost immediately. It's working extremely well for me. No side effects at all. Not even redness at injection site. I still experience some fatigue, but am getting stronger every day. Whew!!!

58 yr old female

58 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-04-24 11:06:12

Question/Comment:

I have been on Enbrel since Nov. 2000 - right before I competed in the Honolulu Marathon in December as part of the Joints in Motion team for the CNY Arthritis Foundation. I feel it has helped me immensely. I sometimes "forget" to take my weekly shot. It is only after several weeks that I may start a flare. But once I take it & get back to the weekly shots, I feel pretty good. I guess I am very lucky. I do have discoid lupus which I understand doesn't like enbrel.
58 year old female

57 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-04-15 09:08:21

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