Etanercept (Enbrel) therapy for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.
Patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and/or variants who were refractory or intolerant of standard therapies were treated with etanercept, 25 mg twice per week. Ten patients underwent treatment, and manual muscle strength, sensory thresholds and functional abilities were tested prior to and 4-6 months after initiating therapy. Three patients had significant improvement and three others had possible improvement. Based on these preliminary observations, treatment with etanercept may be considered in patients with CIDP, who cannot undergo standard therapies, although its efficacy in CIDP needs to be examined in a double-blinded, controlled clinical trial.
Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10022, USA. ruc9002@med.cornell.edu
Russell L
RL
Chin
William H
WH
Sherman
Howard W
HW
Sander
Arthur P
AP
Hays
Norman
N
Latov
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D009431:Neural Conduction; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D000068800:Etanercept