Health Tech

Speaking the latest language of healthcare: Digital health tech

How Embark® App combines a medical and digital approach to support patients in managing their Enbrel® (etanercept) treatment.

Whether starting or maintaining treatment, the Embark App has multiple features that can help patients on ENBREL throughout their treatment experience.

As the healthcare industry continues to evolve and transform, digital health technology has emerged as a critical tool for patients and healthcare providers. Specifically, health apps —which there are now more than 300,000 developed—are changing how patients interact with the healthcare system.¹ Today, more Americans have access to a smartphone than laptops or desktops, making apps increasingly accessible.²

In addition to being accessible, digital health apps often low cost and include helpful personalized features for patients.³ Their ability to provide practical functions such as health education, tracking of symptoms and side effects, appointment management, and social support can make them a compelling healthcare tool.³

Amgen, a leader in the evolution of treatment options and patient experiences in rheumatology, has paired two-decades of rheumatology expertise with the latest digital technologies to help patients on ENBREL manage their treatment regimen, illustrated most recently by the company’s newest innovation – the Embark App.

ENBREL treats patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).4 ENBREL is a self-injectable biologic treatment that is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms, including major clinical response, inhibiting the progression of structural damage, and improving physical function in patients with moderately to severely active RA.4 ENBREL can be initiated in combination with methotrexate (MTX) or used alone.4 See additional indications below.

ENBREL can cause serious adverse reactions, some fatal. See Important Safety Information below, including BOXED WARNINGS, for risk of serious infections, including tuberculosis and other opportunistic infections, and malignancies.

The Embark App helps patients manage important information about their treatment and leverages Bluetooth® technology to help patients automatically track their ENBREL injections with the AutoTouch Connect autoinjector.4,5 Designed to help patients start and manage their treatment, the app provides resources ranging from financial support information and medication reminders to injection site tracking and educational materials.5

The Embark App is the first app that pairs with a medical device to receive the Ease of Use Certification from the Arthritis Foundation. You can read more about this certification here.6

“The app reminds me to take my medication, schedule doctor visits, and it’s all in one place. It helps me think about my treatment and have better conversations with my doctor,” shared Katie, a patient currently on ENBREL.

The Embark App helps support patients with the following key features:

  • Financial Information and Support On-Demand: Eligible commercially insured patients can enroll in the Co-Pay Card* program and view their recent transaction history. Patients can also review ENBREL medication, safety information, and watch supplemental injection demonstration videos.
  • Convenient Reminders: The Embark App helps patients manage their treatment schedule for not just ENBREL, but all their medications in one place with the ability to create reminders and schedule notifications for doctor visits, refills and more.
  • Personalized Injection Support: Within the app, patients will find support and multiple resources to help with injections including:
      • Assistance from ENBREL Nurse Partners™**: Patients can connect with nurses over the phone for additional support or schedule an in-person visit.
      • Injection Site Tracking: Given the importance of alternating injection sites on your body with each dose of ENBREL, the Embark App allows patients to keep track of their injection sites on their body.
      • Automatic Injection Tracking: Patients who pair their ENBREL AutoTouch Connect autoinjector with the Embark App can automatically record their injections and view a medication report of their ENBREL use within the app.

The Embark App is free to download on both the Apple and Google Play App stores, and to learn more about all the features, visit: enbrel.com/embark.

*Eligibility criteria and program limits apply. For full terms and conditions, visit enbrelcostinfo.com

**ENBREL Nurse Partners™ are nurses by training, but they are not part of the treatment team or an extension of the doctor’s office. ENBREL Nurse Partners™ do not inject patients with ENBREL. Only a patient’s provider can offer clinical advice.

Prescription ENBREL® (etanercept) is taken (given) by injection.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is the most important information I should know about ENBREL?

ENBREL is a medicine that affects your immune system. ENBREL can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections. Serious infections have happened in patients taking ENBREL. These infections include tuberculosis (TB) and infections caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria that have spread throughout the body. Some patients have died from these infections. Your healthcare provider should test you for TB before you take ENBREL and monitor you closely for TB before, during, and after ENBREL treatment, even if you have tested negative for TB.

There have been some cases of unusual cancers, some resulting in death, reported in children and teenage patients who started using tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers before 18 years of age. Also, for children, teenagers, and adults taking TNF blockers, including ENBREL, the chances of getting lymphoma or other cancers may increase. Patients with RA may be more likely to get lymphoma.

Before starting ENBREL, tell your healthcare provider if you:

  • Have any existing medical conditions
  • Are taking any medicines, including herbals
  • Think you have, are being treated for, have signs of, or are prone to infection. You should not start taking ENBREL if you have any kind of infection, unless your healthcare provider says it is okay
  • Have any open cuts or sores
  • Have diabetes, HIV, or a weak immune system
  • Have TB or have been in close contact with someone who has had TB
  • Were born in, lived in, or traveled to countries where there is more risk for getting TB. Ask your healthcare provider if you are not sure
  • Live, have lived in, or traveled to certain parts of the country (such as, the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, or the Southwest) where there is a greater risk for certain kinds of fungal infections, such as histoplasmosis. These infections may develop or become more severe if you take ENBREL. If you don’t know if these infections are common in the areas you’ve been to, ask your healthcare provider
  • Have or have had hepatitis B
  • Have or have had heart failure
  • Develop symptoms such as persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness while taking ENBREL
  • Use the medicine Kineret (anakinra), Orencia (abatacept), or Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide)
  • Are taking anti-diabetic medicines
  • Have, have had, or develop a serious nervous disorder, seizures, any numbness or tingling, or a disease that affects your nervous system such as multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barré syndrome
  • Are scheduled to have surgery
  • Have recently received or are scheduled for any vaccines. All vaccines should be brought up-to-date before starting ENBREL. Patients taking ENBREL should not receive live vaccines.
  • Are allergic to rubber or latex
  • Are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding
  • Have been around someone with chicken pox

What are the possible side effects of ENBREL?

ENBREL can cause serious side effects including: New infections or worsening of infections you already have; hepatitis B can become active if you already have had it; nervous system problems, such as multiple sclerosis, seizures, or inflammation of the nerves of the eyes; blood problems (some fatal); new or worsening heart failure; new or worsening psoriasis; allergic reactions; autoimmune reactions, including a lupus-like syndrome and autoimmune hepatitis.

Common side effects include: Injection site reactions and upper respiratory infections (sinus infections).

In general, side effects in children were similar in frequency and type as those seen in adult patients. The types of infections reported were generally mild and similar to those usually seen in children.

These are not all the side effects with ENBREL. Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.

If you have any questions about this information, be sure to discuss them with your healthcare provider. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Prescribing Information and Medication Guide.

Please see the User Manual for AutoTouch Connect reusable autoinjector for use with Enbrel Mini® (etanercept) single-dose prefilled cartridge.

INDICATIONS

Moderate to Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

ENBREL is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms, keeping joint damage from getting worse, and improving physical function in patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis. ENBREL can be taken with methotrexate or used alone.

Psoriatic Arthritis

ENBREL is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms, keeping joint damage from getting worse, and improving physical function in patients with psoriatic arthritis. ENBREL can be used with or without methotrexate.

Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis

ENBREL is indicated for chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) in children 4 years and older and adults who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (ultraviolet light).

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)

ENBREL is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis.

Moderately to Severely Active Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)

ENBREL is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms of moderately to severely active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in children ages 2 years and older.

 

References
  1. Bates, D. W., Landman, A. & Levine, D. M. Health apps and health policy: what is needed? JAMA 320, 1975–1976 (2018).
  2. Pew Research Center. 2019 Core Trends Survey. https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/FT_19.05.23_DigitalDivideCommType_methodology_topline.pdf
  3. Sedhom, R., McShea, M.J., Cohen, A.B. et al. Mobile app validation: a digital health scorecard approach. npj Digit. Med. 4, 111 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-021-00476-7 .
  4. ENBREL® (etanercept) prescribing information, Amgen, April 2021
  5. ENBREL® (etanercept), AutoTouch User Manual. Revised April 2021
  6. Embark® App Ease of Use Certification, Arthritis Foundation. April 2022

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