Biological agents have been shown to reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) when used in clinical trials. These agents have also demonstrated their ability to retard joint damage and improve physical function, leading to better health-related QOL. Currently, there are a number of biological agents available in the US to treat RA, including adalimumab, anakinra, etanercept and infliximab. Researchers from the US evaluated the costs and outcomes associated with biological agents used to treat RA, and found that etanercept was the most cost-effective treatment option, whether used as monotherapy or in combination with methotrexate.1The results were presented at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology [Lisbon, Portugal; June 2003]. A second study presented at the meeting revealed that, compared with infliximab, etanercept was more effective and less costly in the treatment of RA,2while a multinational investigative team showed that, in patients who were partially responsive to methotrexate, potential lifetime treatment with infliximab was cost effective in Portuguese patients with RA.3All three studies received financial support from Wyeth.