Enbrel wins U.S. okay for psoriasis

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Amgen arthritis drug wins U.S. okay for psoriasis

Last Updated: 2004-05-03 14:55:18 -0400 (Reuters Health)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Amgen Inc., the world's biggest biotechnology

company, won U.S. approval on Friday to market its rheumatoid arthritis

drug Enbrel for treating the skin disorder psoriasis.

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman said Enbrel had been

approved for moderate to severe psoriasis, an inflammatory condition

that causes red, scaly patches of skin and afflicts more than 7 million

people in the United States.

The injected drug has been sold for several years, in partnership with

Wyeth, as a treatment for the painful joint disorder rheumatoid

arthritis and a form of arthritis accompanied by psoriasis.

First quarter sales were $397 million. Analysts have said approval for

psoriasis could add $700 million to $800 million per year to U.S. Enbrel

sales.

Amgen officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org