Etanercept dosage

Dosage form Enbrel is supplied as a sterile, lyophilized powder for parenteral administration after reconstitution with sterile bacteriostatic water for injection. Each single-use vial of Enbrel contains etanercept 25 mg. 

Etanercept is given subcutaneously in a dosage of 25 mg twice weekly. The drug is slowly absorbed, with peak concentration 72 hours after drug administration. Etanercept has a mean serum elimination half-life of 4.5 days. Fifty milligrams given once weekly gives the same area under the curve and minimum serum concentrations as 25 mg twice weekly. 

A double-blind study in 98 patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving subcutaneous etanercept 25 mg twice weekly, or etanercept with oral methotrexate (median weekly dose of 20 mg) were randomly selected for a pharmacokinetic study from 682 patients in a clinical study. The pharmacokinetics of etanercept were not altered by concurrent methotrexate and no dosage adjustment is required during concurrent use. ... 

Observational studies Etanercept was well tolerated during 1056 patient-years of exposure in patients with psoriasis there was no difference between the once weekly and twice weekly dosages in rates of adverse events and infections [36 ]. 

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