IMNX Phase III psoriatic arthritis data

Immunex (IMNX) said that in a Phase III study of 205 patients with psoriatic arthritis, 59% of patients receiving its Enbrel etanercept soluble TNF receptor met the primary endpoint of an ACR20 response compared to 15% of placebo patients after 12 weeks. Also at 12 weeks, 72% of Enbrel patients versus 31% of placebo patients had a treatment response, as measured by the Psoriatic Arthritis Criteria (PsARC), which measures improvements in tender and swollen joints.

In a subset of patients (62 on Enbrel and 66 on placebo) who had more than 3% of their body covered by psoriatic plaque, 23% of Enbrel patients had at least a 75% improvement in Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score compared to 3% of placebo patients. Enbrel is marketed for rheumatoid arthritis, and an sBLA is under review for the psoriatic indication. ...