etanercept at a glance
Medicine class
Biological immunomodulator and TNF inhibitor
How it is given
Injection under the skin after suitable training
Key safety issue
Can increase susceptibility to infection, including tuberculosis reactivation
Vaccines
Live vaccines should not be given during treatment
What is etanercept used for?
Selected UK products are licensed for inflammatory conditions including:
Moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis in adults.
Active and progressive psoriatic arthritis in adults.
Severe active ankylosing spondylitis and severe non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis in eligible adults.
Moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in eligible adults.
Selected forms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Chronic severe plaque psoriasis in eligible children and adolescents.
How does etanercept work?
Etanercept is a soluble TNF-receptor fusion protein. It binds TNF before it can activate receptors on cells, reducing inflammatory responses involved in joint, spinal and skin disease.
etanercept preparations and strengths
Injection
Route: Parenteral
Strengths: 10 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg
How to take etanercept
Etanercept is injected under the skin. A trained patient or caregiver may administer it after instruction; follow the leaflet for the specific product and device.
Rotate injection sites and avoid tender, bruised, red, hard, scarred or psoriasis-affected skin where possible.
Allow a refrigerated pre-filled syringe to reach room temperature naturally; do not heat it.
Do not use a damaged device or a solution that does not meet the leaflet's appearance checks.
Prepare powder-and-solvent presentations exactly as instructed and do not mix them with another medicine.
Food and drink do not affect a subcutaneous injection.
etanercept side effects
Common or expected effects
- Injection-site redness, pain, itching, swelling, bruising or minor bleeding
- Infections, particularly respiratory, urinary, bronchial or skin infections
- Headache
- Rash or itching
- Fever
Get urgent medical advice
- Serious infection, sepsis, tuberculosis or an opportunistic infection
- Severe allergic or anaphylactic reaction
- Blood disorders causing unusual bruising, bleeding, persistent fever, sore throat or paleness
- New weakness, numbness, visual change or eye pain
- New or worsening heart failure
- Serious skin reactions, lupus-like illness or liver inflammation
etanercept in pregnancy
Etanercept may be considered during pregnancy when specialist assessment finds it clinically necessary. Exposure later in pregnancy may affect the baby's immune response, so maternity and paediatric teams must know before the baby receives live vaccines.
etanercept while breastfeeding
Only low levels are expected to enter human milk, and infant absorption is expected to be low. Etanercept can be considered while breastfeeding after an individual assessment; discuss infant live-vaccine timing with the specialist and vaccination teams.
etanercept interactions
Tell the specialist and vaccination team about all prescribed, non-prescribed and biological treatments. Important examples include:
Anakinra
Combined use is not recommended because serious infections and neutropenia occur more often without added clinical benefit.
Abatacept
Combined use is not recommended because serious adverse events increase without demonstrated added benefit.
Sulfasalazine
The combination may reduce white blood cell counts.
Live vaccines
Common questions about etanercept
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What is etanercept used for?
It is a specialist biological treatment for selected inflammatory forms of arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis and plaque psoriasis in eligible adults and children.
Is etanercept an immunosuppressant?
Yes. Blocking TNF alters immune and inflammatory responses, which can control disease but increase susceptibility to infection.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.