Community-based evaluation of etanercept in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Etanercept is one of a new subgroup of biological disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are non-responsive or intolerant to conventional DMARD. We evaluated the effects of etanercept (Enbrel) therapy in patients with RA in community-based clinical practice in Canada. METHODS: Using a cohort design, patients requesting etanercept therapy were stratified into treatment and …