Biologic agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Substantial progress has been made in our understanding of the immune system and immunopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. This knowledge, combined with advances in biotechnology, has resulted in the development of biologic agents to selectively target elements of the immune system participating in the inflammatory response. This article reviews the available data from clinical trials of biologic agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Randomized controlled trials comparing administration of a biologic agent to placebo are emphasized. Despite concerns raised by initial trials with these agents, they still offer the most promise as treatments for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.