Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

The recommended dose of Enbrel^® for patients with JIA is based on weight¹:

• 0.4 mg/kg (up to a maximum of 25 mg per dose) given as a subcutaneous injection with an interval of 3 to 4 days between the doses or
   
• 0.8 mg/kg (up to a maximum of 50 mg per dose) given QW

Discontinuation of treatment should be considered in JIA patients who show no response after 4 months. The 10 mg vial strength may be more appropriate for children below the weight of 25 kg¹

Adapted from Enbrel^® LPD. Version LPDENB062021.

Discontinuation of treatment should be considered in patients with JIA who show no response after 4 months.¹ 

• TNF plays an important role in the pathogenesis of JIA. High levels occur in both the serum and synovial fluid of children with JIA²
   
• The trial for which etanercept was approved by the FDA was based on near 80% response rate²
   
• Long-term follow-up in RCTs, ranging from 2.3 to 13 years, have demonstrated significant sustained response^3,4
   
• In the present study, etanercept was given in the dose of 0.4 mg/kg BIW or 0.8 mg/kg QW (9% started with QW, 34% switched to QW)⁵
   
• Etanercept in JIA was associated with improved physical health and psychosocial functioning after 3 to 15 months of treatment. Additional improvement occurred after 27 months⁵

BIW, twice a week; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; JIA, juvenile idiopathic arthritis; QW, once a week; RCT, randomised controlled trial; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; TNFR, tumour necrosis factor receptor.