Question
I recently moved to Israel, and am having difficulty in getting my Enbrel prescription continued here. They just recently approved Enbrel for Psoriatic arthritis, but they want me to try Remicade first. I explained that I had been on Enbrel effectively for two years now. No luck. Can you do a comparison of the two?
Answer
See our section on TNF inhibitors on this website. Briefly, both Enbrel and Remicade inhibit TNF but by different mechanisms. Enbrel is a chimeric soluble receptor for TNF, meaning that it is an exact replica of the receptor for TNF that is normally found on the surface of cells, but made into a soluble form. Remicade is a monoclonal antibody against TNF. Both bind to TNF in the circulation and prevent the TNF from causing inflammation. Remicade is approved for RA, Crohn’s disease, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. It is usually given by IV infusion together with methotrexate. Enbrel is also approved for the above indications except Crohn’s, but is also approved for juvenile RA and skin psoriasis. It is given as a self injection usually every week. Both Enbrel and Remicade have similar records of effetiveness and safety.
