57% of teen patients on Enbrel see PASI 75

US biotechnology major Amgen and US pharmaceutical giant Wyeth say that children and adolescents with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who received Enbrel (etanercept), their co-developed targeted therapy for autoimmune conditions, experienced significant improvements in the signs and symptoms of their disease, according to Phase III study data published in the January 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

During the 48-week study, the percentage of patients achieving 75% or greater disease improvement from baseline, as measured by the standard Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, was used to evaluate efficacy in patients between four and 17 years old. At week 12, 57% of pediatric patients given Enbrel achieved PASI 75 versus 11% of those who received placebo (p<0.001), the firms noted.