Merck Grabs Health Canada’s Approval for Enbrel Biosimilar

Health Canada has approved Merck’s Brenzys (etanercept injection), a biosimilar to Amgen’s Enbrel for four new indications aimed at plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

The biosimilar is now approved for adults with chronic moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and for reducing signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. It is also approved for chronic severe plaque psoriasis and for moderately to severely active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis in patients aged four to 17 years.

Brenzys was first approved in Canada in 2016 for the treatment of moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.