Takeda announces JIA indication for Enbrel

Takeda has announced that it and Wyeth have added an indication relating to the treatment of polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) to the treatment known as Enbrel 25mg for SC injection (etanercept).

Enbrel, which is co-promoted by both Takeda and Wyeth, is a fully human-soluble TNF-alpha/LT-alpha receptor that is used in the treatment of arthritis.

Commenting on the move, Yasuhiko Yamanaka, member of the board and general manager of the Pharmaceutical Marketing Division at Takeda, said that JIA is a condition that limits the daily activities of patients due to the effects of progressing arthritis.

“Takeda and Wyeth expect to contribute to the improvement of quality of life of the patients with JIA by offering this new treatment option, which can be administered by patients themselves – and accordingly – can save the time and physical burden for patients when visiting physicians’ office,” he added.

Wyeth KK president Michael Goettler also noted that Enbrel became the first product in the world to receive approval for JIA and is now used by many patients around the world.

Earlier this month, Takeda announced plans to trial CBP501 for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.