The anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α monoclonal antibody adalimumab [D2E7; 'Humira'] provides durable improvement in symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to several studies presented at the 66th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) [New Orleans, US; October 2002]. Two pivotal phase III studies showed that adalimumab, alone or in combination with patients' existing therapy, provided significant improvements in symptoms and QOL for patients who had not responded adequately to methotrexate and/or other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). One of these studies also showed that leflunomide, in combination with methotrexate, inhibited the progression of joint damage. Two long-term studies presented at the meeting demonstrated the durability of the improvements in symptoms achieved with adalimumab. Adalimumab was well tolerated in these studies and in a 24-week safety study presented at the meeting, which showed that its use in combination with standard medications for RA did not increase the incidence of adverse events.