Abstract

Recent years have seen considerable advances in our understanding of both the clinical and basic-research aspects of rheumatoid arthritis. Clinical progress has come from a better recognition of the natural history of the disease, the development and validation of outcome measures for clinical trials and, consequently, innovative trial designs. In parallel, basic research has provided clues to the pathogenic events underlying rheumatoid arthritis, and advances in biotechnology have facilitated the development of new classes of therapeutics. Here, we summarize the fruits of these advances: innovative approaches to the use of existing, traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; novel agents approved very recently; and further avenues that are presently under investigation or which are of more distant promise.

Author affiliations

1. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Vienna, and Center of Molecular Medicine, Austrian Academy of Sciences, A-1090, Vienna, and 2nd Department of Medicine, Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Lainz Hospital, A-1130 Vienna, Austria.

Correspondence to: Josef S. Smolen¹ Email: josef.smolen@wienkav.at