Common questions about ENBREL

A. Many insurance plans cover ENBREL. Your actual cost may vary depending on your dose, insurance coverage, and eligibility for support programs. Talk to your insurance provider for specific information about your prescription coverage.

A. If you have Medicare, you can sign up for a plan that can help cover the cost of ENBREL. Our Medicare Solutions team can help patients understand their Medicare coverage. Medicare Solutions specialists are available 8 AM to 8 PM ET, Monday through Friday. Just call 1-888-4ENBREL (1-888-436-2735).

A. Each Medicaid agency is different. Talk to your insurance provider for specific information about your prescription coverage.

A. Your healthcare provider should work with your insurance company to complete a Prior Authorization.

A. For moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis
Your doctor will recommend the best dose and dosing schedule for you. But, in general, the recommended dose of ENBREL is 50 mg, once a week.

For moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults

Your doctor will recommend the best dose and dosing schedule for you. But the dosing schedule is generally:

Your doctor may also choose to start you with 25 mg or 50 mg of ENBREL, once per week. Ask your doctor what dose is right for you.

A. For moderate to severe polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis or moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in children ages 4-17

Your doctor will recommend the best dose and dosing schedule for your child. But, for most children, dosing is based on weight:

A. If you forget to take ENBREL when you are supposed to, call your doctor to find out when you should take your next dose. It’s important to take ENBREL as scheduled.

A. If you have questions about how to inject ENBREL, you should talk to your doctor. You can also watch demonstrations and get information about injecting online.

A. Your doctor or nurse will train you on how to inject ENBREL. Also, remember to thoroughly read the Instructions for Use that come with your ENBREL medication before injecting with ENBREL. The Instructions for Use cover everything you need to know about how to use ENBREL. After that, you can also watch these injection demos to supplement the information you got from your doctor or nurse.

Additionally, an ENBREL Nurse Partner™ can offer one-on-one supplemental injection support at home or over the phone. To enroll in the ENBREL Nurse Partner™ program, call 1-888-4ENBREL (1-888-436-2735) 8 AM to 8 PM ET, Monday through Friday.

ENBREL Nurse Partners™ are nurses by training, but they are not part of your treatment team or an extension of your doctor’s office. ENBREL Nurse Partners™ do not inject patients with ENBREL. You will be referred to your doctor’s office for clinical advice.

A. You can inject ENBREL on the front of the middle thigh, on the outer area of your upper arm (outer arm only if someone else is giving you the injection), or on your stomach (except for the 2-inch area around your belly button). Choose a different site each time you give yourself an injection. If you need to use the same injection site, just make sure it is not the same spot on that site you used last time. Do not inject into areas where the skin is tender, bruised, red, or hard. Avoid injecting into areas with scars or stretch marks.

Skin reactions around the injection area, such as redness, pain, swelling, itching, or bruising have happened. On average, these symptoms go away within 3 to 5 days. If you have any of these reactions and they don’t go away or get worse, call your doctor.

A. Injecting cold ENBREL can be uncomfortable. To help make it more comfortable, take ENBREL out of the fridge and wait for it to reach room temperature (which should take at least 30 minutes before injecting). Do not remove the white cap from the ENBREL SureClick^® autoinjector until you are ready to inject. Do not warm it in a microwave or in hot water, and do not remove the needle cover while you wait. Keep these guidelines in mind:

    • In general, store ENBREL in the refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C)

    • You may store the ENBREL syringe, SureClick® Autoinjector, Enbrel Mini® single-dose prefilled cartridge, ENBREL single-dose vial, or the dose tray for the multi‐use vial at room temperature between 68°F and 77°F (20°C and 25°C) for up to 30 days

    • Once ENBREL has reached room temperature, do not put it back in the refrigerator

    • Throw away ENBREL that has been stored at room temperature after 30 days

A. Sometimes this can happen. Some common injection site reactions include redness, pain, swelling, itching, or bruising. However, these symptoms tend to go away within 3 to 5 days. If they don’t go away or get worse, call your doctor.

A. If a needle or an injection device is damaged in any way, don’t try to use it or fix it. Also, don’t throw it away. Call 1-888-4ENBREL (1-888-436-2735) 8 AM to 8 PM ET, Monday through Friday, and we will help you.

A. Right after injecting, discard your needle, syringe, vials, SureClick® autoinjector, or Enbrel Mini® single-dose prefilled cartridge in a puncture-resistant sharps disposal container (do not recap or reuse). You can buy one at your local pharmacy, or you can order one through ENBREL^® SupportPlus at 1-888-4ENBREL (1-888-436-2735) 8 AM to 8 PM ET, Monday through Friday.

A. The most common side effects of ENBREL are infections (like the common cold, sinusitis, and the flu) and injection site reactions. Injection site reactions have occurred, such as redness, itching, pain, swelling, bleeding, or bruising. These symptoms usually go away within 3 to 5 days. If you have pain, redness, or swelling around the injection site that does not go away or gets worse, call your healthcare provider.

A. If you get an infection, especially one with a fever, you need to contact your doctor right away.

A. Your vaccinations should be brought up to date before starting ENBREL. While you are taking ENBREL, you may be able to get some vaccines, including certain types of flu shots. You should not receive any live vaccines while taking ENBREL. Talk to your doctor before receiving vaccines, including flu shots, if you are taking ENBREL.

A. ENBREL should be kept cool—between 36°F and 46°F (2°C and 8°C; the standard temperature range of most refrigerators). However, ENBREL can also be stored at room temperature between 68°F and 77°F (20°C and 25°C) for up to 30 days. Once ENBREL has reached room temperature, do not put it back in the refrigerator. Throw away ENBREL that has been stored at room temperature after 30 days.

A. ENBREL can stay at room temperature between 68°F and 77°F (20°C and 25°C) for up to 30 days. However, once it reaches room temperature, you cannot put it back in the fridge. Throw away ENBREL that has been stored at room temperature for more than 30 days. If you use the multi-use vial, mixed ENBREL powder should be used right away or kept in the fridge at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) for up to 30 days.

A. Check with your airline before you travel. They can tell you whether you can carry needles, syringes, or injection devices onto the plane. It is also a good idea to carry a copy of your prescription or a doctor’s note to show airport security. Notify the screener if you are carrying a sharps disposal container in your carry-on baggage.

A. Before starting ENBREL, you should tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant. ENBREL should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.

A. Nursing mothers should know that ENBREL can pass into breast milk and may harm nursing infants. Work with your doctor to decide whether you will take ENBREL or breastfeed. You should not do both.

A. Sometimes surgery increases your chances of getting an infection. Because ENBREL can also increase your risk of getting an infection, your doctor may want you to stop taking ENBREL for a while before and after your operation.

A. If you are sensitive to latex, do not handle the SureClick® Autoinjector, Enbrel Mini® single-dose prefilled cartridge, or the prefilled syringe. The needle cover of the prefilled syringe, needle cover within the white cap of the SureClick® Autoinjector, and needle cover within the purple cap of the Enbrel Mini® single-dose prefilled cartridge are made of dry natural rubber (which comes from latex). Talk to your doctor about the best injection method for you.

A. In moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis, ENBREL can be taken with or without methotrexate to help reduce joint pain and help stop additional joint damage.

In medical studies of patients with moderate to severe RA, ENBREL was proven to help reduce joint pain and stop further joint damage better than methotrexate alone. And, people taking ENBREL for 6 months had less joint pain and damage than people who only took methotrexate. Your results may vary. Ask your doctor if ENBREL and methotrexate could work for you.

A. You may use any of these approved injection sites: front of the middle thigh, on the outer area of your upper arm (outer arm only if someone else is giving you the injection), or on your stomach (except the 2-inch area around your belly button). Choose a different site each time you give yourself an injection. If you need to use the same injection site, just make sure it is not the same spot on that site you used last time. Do not inject into areas where the skin is tender, bruised, red, or hard. Avoid injecting into areas with scars or stretch marks.

If your healthcare provider decides that you or a caregiver can give ENBREL, you or your caregiver should receive training on the right way to prepare and inject ENBREL. Do not try to inject ENBREL unless you have been shown the right way by your healthcare provider or nurse. Also, remember to thoroughly read the Instructions for Use that come with your ENBREL medication before injecting with ENBREL. The Instructions for Use cover everything you need to know about how to use ENBREL.  After that, you can also watch this SureClick^® Autoinjector demo to supplement the information you got from your doctor or nurse. Have questions? Please call us at 1-888-4ENBREL (1-888-436-2735) 8 AM to 8 PM ET, Monday through Friday.

A. You may use any of these approved injection sites: front of the middle thigh, on the outer area of your upper arm (outer arm only if someone else is giving you the injection), or on your stomach (except the 2-inch area around your belly button). Choose a different site each time you give yourself an injection. If you need to use the same injection site, just make sure it is not the same spot on that site you used last time. Do not inject into areas where the skin is tender, bruised, red, or hard. Avoid injecting into areas with scars or stretch marks.

A. You can do either one as long as you create a firm surface. When pinching, make sure to pinch the skin firmly between your thumb and fingers, creating an area about two inches wide. You may also stretch the skin firmly by moving your thumb and fingers in opposite directions, creating an area about two inches wide.

A. In order to inject correctly, firmly push down the autoinjector against the skin until it stops moving. Then press the purple start button. You will hear a click. While still pushing the autoinjector down on your skin, you can then lift your thumb off the purple button. The injection could take about 15 seconds.

A. You can lift your finger (thumb) off the purple start button and place the prefilled autoinjector back on your injection site. Then, you can press the purple start button again. Make sure to push down the autoinjector firmly onto the skin, at a 90-degree angle until it stops moving. For more information, contact your healthcare provider and/or call 1-888-4ENBREL (1-888-436-2735) 8 AM to 8 PM ET, Monday through Friday.

A. The SureClick^® Autoinjector has a needle size of 27 gauge, ½ inch in length.

A. Your injection could take about 15 seconds. The inspection window will start to fill with the yellow plunger once a click is heard, indicating the injection sequence has commenced. The injection will be complete once the entire window is fully yellow. You may hear a second click. When you remove the autoinjector, if the window has not turned yellow, or if it looks like the medicine is still injecting, this means you have not received a full dose. Call your healthcare provider.

A. Pull the white cap off only when you are ready to inject. Do not leave the white cap off for more than 5 minutes.

A. Waiting longer than 5 minutes can dry out the medicine.

A. The green safety guard with the needle inside should be in contact with the skin at a 90-degree angle.

A. Leave the medicine at room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to injecting yourself to minimize discomfort.