TNF inhibitors for rheumatoid arthritis - a year in review.

The identification of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) as an important mediator in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) led to the development of TNF inhibitors (TN- FIs), which has ushered in a revolution not only in therapies for RA, but other rheumatic diseases as well. Treatment strategies for RA will continue to evolve as new agents are developed and as new data become available. This article provides a summary of clinical studies with TNFIs conducted in RA patients and reported over the previous 18 months based on a PubMed search using the terms TNFIs (with their individual generic names) and RA.