Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) - a chronic, debilitating disease with a progressive course - has important economic consequences. In The Netherlands, where the incidence of RA has been estimated at 1-1.5%, the new agent etanercept ['Enbrel'] has recently been granted reimbursement for use in patients with RA. The agent, a tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor, can be administered at home by SC injection. Research presented at the ISPOR*3rd Annual European Conference [Antwerp, Belgium; November 2000] demonstrates that etanercept's ease of administration translates into cost savings for Dutch society, compared with another TNF inhibitor, infliximab, which requires IV infusion in a hospital setting.