ARTHRITIS DRUG SPURS REMISSIONS.

Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS - Patients taking Amgen's rheumatoid arthritis drug Enbrel saw the disease go into clinical remission after two years of therapy, according to a study released Thursday.

More than 40 percent of 231 patients receiving a combination of Enbrel and methotrexate, another drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, achieved clinical remission. Approximately 23.3 percent of those patients experienced the same results with Enbrel alone.

``We are particularly impressed by the high frequency of remission in patients who have had both a long previous history of rheumatoid arthritis and high disease activity at the start of the trial,'' Dr. Lars Klareskog, principal investigator of the study, said in a printed statement.

The data arrive on the heels of several other studies this week that serve as marketing platforms for Thousand Oaks-based Amgen. Sena Lund, analyst with Cathay Financial in New York, said he doesn't see any real financial value to the studies other than bolstering the reputation of a product that has already been proved successful for the company.

Enbrel has been used by more than 234,000 patients worldwide.

``It's confirmatory. These are marketing stories. I don't think it will change the course of the product,'' said Lund, who doesn't own any shares of the company.

Amgen also received a dose of news from the Food and Drug Administration this week that drugmakers, such as Amgen and Johnson & Johnson, need to conduct more studies on anti-anemia products. The regulators decided that more research is needed to determine whether drugs targeting anemia in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy affect tumor growth, clot formation or patient survival.

Lund said the regulators' request could affect the success of Amgen's anemia fighter Aranesp if drugmaker Roche is able to release a stronger combatant.

Roche is due to receive federal approval of Cera, an anti-anemia drug that can be taken in doses every three weeks. Lund said the product is a viable competitor because Aranesp requires a greater dosing frequency.

Despite potential competition, Enbrel, coupled with its blockbuster brethren Aranesp, continue to produce for Amgen's bottom line. In Amgen's most recent quarter, Enbrel sales rose by about 45 percent from the arthritis fighter's performance last year. Aranesp sales jumped more than 100 percent in U.S. and international markets.

Enbrel, which also treats psoriasis, has long been in competition with other products. Last year Cambridge, Mass.-based Biogen Inc. received federal approval for its Amevive drug, which treats moderate to severe psoriasis. Also posing competition are Johnson & Johnson's Remicade and Genentech's Raptiva.

Amgen shares gained 21 cents to close at $55.37 Thursday on the Nasdaq market.

Evan Pondel, [phone]

evan.pondel(at)dailynews.com