Malignancies and lymphoproliferative disorders One hundred and twenty-nine (129) new malignancies of various types were observed in 4,114 rheumatoid arthritis patients treated in clinical trials with etanercept for up to approximately 6 years, including 231 patients treated with etanercept in combination with methotrexate in a 2-year active-controlled study. The observed rates and incidences in these clinical trials were similar to those expected for the population studied. A total of 2 malignancies were reported in clinical studies of approximately 2 years duration involving 240 etanercept-treated psoriatic arthritis patients.
In clinical studies conducted for more than 2 years with 351 ankylosing spondylitis patients, 6 malignancies were reported in etanercept-treated patients. In a group of 2,711 plaque psoriasis patients treated with etanercept in double-blind and open-label studies of up to 2.5 years, 30 malignancies and 43 non-melanoma skin cancers were reported. In a group of 7,416 patients treated with etanercept in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriasis clinical trials, 18 lymphomas were reported. Reports of various malignancies (including breast and lung carcinoma and lymphoma) have also been received in the post-marketing period (see section 4.4).
Injection site reactions Compared to placebo, patients with rheumatic diseases treated with etanercept had a significantly higher incidence of injection site reactions (36% vs. 9%). Injection site reactions usually occurred in the first month. Mean duration was approximately 3 to 5 days. No treatment was given for the majority of injection site reactions in the etanercept treatment groups, and the majority of patients who were given treatment received topical preparations, such as corticosteroids, or oral antihistamines.
Additionally, some patients developed recall injection site reactions characterised by a skin reaction at the most recent site of injection, along with the simultaneous appearance of injection site reactions at previous injection sites. These reactions were generally transient and did not recur with treatment. In controlled trials in patients with plaque psoriasis, approximately 13.6% of patients treated with etanercept developed injection site reactions compared with 3.4% of placebo-treated patients during the first 12 weeks of treatment.
Serious infections In placebo-controlled trials, no increase in the incidence of serious infections (fatal, life-threatening, or requiring hospitalisation or intravenous antibiotics) was observed. Serious infections occurred in 6.3% of rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with etanercept for up to 48 months.
These included abscess (at various sites), bacteraemia, bronchitis, bursitis, cellulitis, cholecystitis, diarrhoea, diverticulitis, endocarditis (suspected), gastroenteritis, hepatitis B, herpes zoster, leg ulcer, mouth infection, osteomyelitis, otitis, peritonitis, pneumonia, pyelonephritis, sepsis, septic arthritis, sinusitis, skin infection, skin ulcer, urinary tract infection, vasculitis, and wound infection. In a 2-year active-controlled study where patients were treated with either etanercept alone, methotrexate alone or etanercept in combination with methotrexate, the rates of serious infections were similar among the treatment groups.
However, it cannot be excluded that the combination of etanercept with methotrexate could be associated with an increase in the rate of infections. There were no differences in rates of infection among patients treated with etanercept and those treated with placebo for plaque psoriasis in placebo-controlled trials of up to 24 weeks duration. Serious infections experienced by etanercept-treated patients included cellulitis, gastroenteritis, pneumonia, cholecystitis, osteomyelitis, gastritis, appendicitis, Streptococcal fasciitis, myositis, septic shock, diverticulitis and abscess.
In the double-blind and open-label psoriatic arthritis trials, 1 patient reported a serious infection (pneumonia). Serious and fatal infections have been reported during use of etanercept; reported pathogens include bacteria, mycobacteria (including tuberculosis), viruses and fungi. Some have occurred within a few weeks after initiating treatment with etanercept in patients who have underlying conditions (e.g., diabetes, congestive heart failure, history of active or chronic infections) in addition to their rheumatoid 14