EU approves Wyeth’s Enbrel

LONDON The European Commission has approved the drug Enbrel.

Wyeth, which makes Enbrel (etanercept) with Amgen, announced Thursday that the commission approved the biologic drug to treat severe plaque psoriasis in children. It is also approved in the United States as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Enbrel in 1998. The company that developed Enbrel, Seattle-based Immunex, merged with Amgen in 2002.