Enbrel Approved for Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis in Europe

The rheumatoid arthritis drug Enbrel has been approved by European regulators as a treatment for psoriatic arthritis -- a type of arthritis which develops in nearly 25 percent of people diagnosed with psoriasis.

The injectable drug was approved in the United States earlier in the year for "reducing the signs and symptoms" of the psoriatic arthritis, and may be used alone, or in combination with methotrexate (see earlier Arthritis Week story).

Amgen Inc. also announced that it has received U.S. approval to operate a new manufacturing facility in Rhode Island that will enable it to boost production of Enbrel, which has been in short supply all year.

The only other place Enbrel is being made in bulk is at a contract manufacturer in Germany.

Other sources: Amgen