Combination therapy in rheumatoid arthritis

It has become clear that early suppression of rheumatoid arthritis disease activity is important in preventing progressive joint destruction and functional decline. To achieve this goal, many rheumatologists today advocate a more aggressive approach, using combinations of classic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs-often including methotrexate-or new drugs. During the last 2 years, the combination of methotrexate, sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, and prednisolone has been demonstrated to be more beneficial than monotherapy in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, the superior efficacy of the combination of new tumor necrosis factor-a blocking agents plus methotrexate to methotrexate alone in patients with chronic disease is very promising. Most studies of combination therapy focus on the efficacy of a combination compared with monotherapy, rather than on the efficacy of a treatment strategy. Although these studies of combination therapy provide useful information about the possible synergistic action of combinations of drugs, many questions remain unanswered, and studies evaluating different treatment strategies are needed before a new approach can be suggested. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.