The US Food and Drug Administration approved Antares Pharma Inc.’s (ATRS) injectable Otrexup, an alternative to pills for hard to treat arthritis and psoriasis cases. Antares Pharma Inc. stated that Otrexup is the first methotrexate approved by the FDA that patients can administer once a week by themselves using a disposable auto injector.
The medication is “intended for use by adults with active, severe rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis who haven’t responded to or been able to tolerate first line therapy, and for children with active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis.” While methotrexate is also used in cancer treatment, Otrexup is not intended for that purpose.