New Data Demonstrates Joint Damage Is Inhibited With Wyeth's Biologic Enbrel(R) Plus Methotrexate In Patients With Early Active Rheumatoid Arthritis

Study Results Provide Further Evidence That Early Treatment of
Rheumatoid Arthritis With Enbrel(R) Plus Methotrexate in Moderate to
Severe Patients can Stop the Disease From Progressing, and Helps Patients
Return to More Normal and Productive Lives





Data presented today show that 80% of patients with early active
rheumatoid arthritis achieved radiographic remission (or non-progression
defined as a change in TSS is less than or equal to 0.5) at one year when
treated with Enbrel (etanercept) and methotrexate, compared to 59% when
treated with methotrexate alone(1). COMET* (COmbination of Methotrexate and
ETanercept in Active Early Rheumatoid Arthritis) is the first major trial to
use remission as its primary endpoint in patients with early active
rheumatoid arthritis treated with a biologic. Data from the landmark COMET
study were presented at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)
Annual Meeting in Paris.





The COMET trial also showed that 50% of patients taking this Enbrel
combination achieved clinical remission (DAS28