Latest developments in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis : is there new hope for patients ?

Over the past decade, treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been revolutionized with the introduction of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), such as TNF inhibitors (e.g., infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, golimumab and certolizumab pegol), the IL-6 receptor inhibitor tocilizumab, the chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab and the T-cell costimulation inhibitor abatacept into everyday clinical practice [1]. Despite the dramatic improvement, there are still unmet needs, with patients refractory to currently available treatments and patients losing efficacy or not tolerating biologic agents. However, new small molecular compounds and biologics are in development, providing new hope.