On Nov. 10, 1998, Immunex announced that ENBREL(tm) (etanercept) had received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the reduction in signs and symptoms of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis in patients who have an inadequate response to one or more disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

The first in a new class of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drugs known as biologic response modifiers, ENBREL is an entirely new approach to management of moderate to severe RA. ENBREL can be used in combination with methotrexate in patients who do not respond adequately to methotrexate alone. The dosage of ENBREL for adult patients with RA is 25 mg given twice weekly as a subcutaneous injection.