ENBREL Reviewed As Potential New Treatment Option for Children and Adolescents with Chronic Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis Who Have Tried Another Therapy
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 18, 2008--Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) announced that the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for ENBREL for the treatment of pediatric patients with chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who have tried another therapy will be discussed today at a meeting of the DODAC. Moderate to severe plaque psoriasis is a serious, chronic inflammatory disease that can have both physical and psychosocial impact. According to a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology, chronic psoriasis can have as much of an impact on a child's physical, psychological and social functioning as other serious childhood diseases such as asthma, epilepsy and diabetes.
"Despite the major impact of moderate to severe psoriasis on the lives of children living with this condition, no topical or systemic options are approved in the U.S. for chronic use in this indication," said Roger M. Perlmutter, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president, Research and Development, Amgen. "There is a clear unmet medical need in this small, under-served population of children with chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis."
In September 2007, Amgen submitted a sBLA to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the expanded use of ENBREL in treating pediatric patients with chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are inadequately controlled with topical therapy or who have received systemic therapy or phototherapy.
Amgen is proposing a risk management program to foster appropriate use of ENBREL in this patient population. Education will be an important tool to help physicians, patients, and their guardians understand, and therefore mitigate, known and potential risks associated with the use of ENBREL.
ABOUT PSORIASIS
According to the National Institutes of Health, up to 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis, a noncontagious, chronic disease in which the immune system causes skin cells to grow at an accelerated rate. Up to 80 percent of these patients have plaque psoriasis, which is characterized by painful and itchy, red, scaly patches. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, about one-third of all psoriasis patients will develop the disease in childhood.
ABOUT ENBREL
ENBREL is a soluble form of a fully human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor and has 16 years of collective clinical experience with an established safety profile. ENBREL was first approved in 1998 for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis and was approved to treat children and adolescents with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (now called juvenile idiopathic arthritis) in 1999. ENBREL was approved in 2004 to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults.
ENBREL indications in the U.S.:
-- ENBREL is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms, keeping
joint damage from getting worse, and improving physical
function in patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid
arthritis. ENBREL can be taken with methotrexate or used
alone.
-- ENBREL is indicated for reducing the signs and symptoms of
moderately to severely active polyarticular juvenile
idiopathic arthritis in patients ages 2 and older.
-- ENBREL is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms, keeping
joint damage from getting worse, and improving physical
function in patients with psoriatic arthritis. ENBREL can be
used in combination with methotrexate in patients who do not
respond adequately to methotrexate alone.
-- ENBREL is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms in
patients with active ankylosing spondylitis.
-- ENBREL is indicated for the treatment of adult patients (18
years or older) with chronic moderate to severe plaque
psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or
phototherapy.
Important Safety Information
What important safety information do I need to know about taking prescription ENBREL?
ENBREL is a type of protein called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker that blocks the action of a substance your body's immune system makes called TNF. People with an immune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, or psoriasis, have too much TNF in their bodies. ENBREL can reduce the amount of active TNF in the body to normal levels, helping to treat your disease. But, in doing so, ENBREL can also lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections.
Serious infections, including tuberculosis (TB), have happened in patients taking ENBREL. Some of these serious infections have been fatal. Many serious infections occurred in people prone to infection. Serious infections have also occurred in patients with advanced or poorly controlled diabetes. Do not start ENBREL if you have an infection or are allergic to ENBREL or its components. Once on ENBREL, if you get an infection or have any sign of an infection, including fever, cough, or flu-like symptoms, or have open sores, tell your doctor. Your doctor should test you for TB before starting ENBREL and should monitor you closely for signs and symptoms of TB.
Serious nervous system disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, seizures, or inflammation of the nerves of the eyes have been reported. There have been rare reports of serious blood disorders (some fatal).
In medical studies, more cases of lymphoma (a type of cancer) were seen in patients taking TNF blockers compared to similar patients who were not taking TNF blockers. The risk of lymphoma may be several-fold higher in people with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis; the role of TNF blockers in the development of malignancies is unknown.
Tell your doctor if you:
-- Think you have, are being treated for, have signs of, or are
prone to infection
-- Have any open sores
-- Have or have had TB or hepatitis B
-- Have ever been treated for heart failure
-- Have ever had or develop a serious nervous system disorder
-- Develop symptoms such as persistent fever, bruising, bleeding,
or paleness while taking ENBREL
Common side effects in adult clinical trials were injection site reaction, infection and headache.
In a medical study of patients with JIA, infection, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting, and nausea occurred more frequently than in adults. The kinds of infections reported were generally mild and similar to those usually seen in children. Other serious adverse reactions were reported, including serious infection and depression/personality disorder.
If you have any questions about this information, be sure to discuss them with your doctor. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please visit www.enbrel.com or call 1-888-4ENBREL to request additional information, including the full U.S. Prescribing Information.
About Amgen
Amgen and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, market ENBREL in North America. Wyeth markets ENBREL outside of North America. Immunex Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amgen, manufactures ENBREL.
Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative human therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science's promise by bringing safe and effective medicines from lab, to manufacturing plant, to patient. Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other serious illnesses. With a deep and broad pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people's lives. To learn more about our pioneering science and our vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com.
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SOURCE: Amgen