Etanercept in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis.

The aim of the present review is to provide an update on the most important recent studies on the use of etanercept in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Using various assessment tools, such as the Disease Activity Score 28-joint count (DAS28), the PsA Response Criteria (PsARC), and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) score, several authors have shown that etanercept can reduce the signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis and inhibit radiographic progression in studies with follow-up periods of up to 2 years. There is evidence that etanercept is effective in the treatment of psoriatic enthesitis, dactylitis, and axial joint disease as well as in disease affecting the skin and nails. In clinical trials, etanercept had a safety profile similar to that of placebo and this profile did not change over time. Cost-effectiveness models have found etanercept to be the most cost-effective tumor necrosis factor inhibitor in patients with psoriatic arthritis and mild to moderate psoriasis. Etanercept has a favorable risk-benefit profile in the short term. The concomitant use of methotrexate does not alter etanercept survival.