[New basic therapeutic drugs from the viewpoint of evidence-based therapy]

Leflunomide, infliximab and etanercept belong to a new generation of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: they achieve a sustained improvement of clinical as well as biochemical parameters of the disease activity. Consecutively, indices of life quality become better and they are essentially able to prevent structural joint damage. The therapeutic rating of these new agents in early and advanced RA compared to the commonly used DMARDs and combination therapies has to be evaluated in further trials. Controlled studies are the basis of evidence-based therapy. But also the daily clinical experience as well as costs of therapy may have an impact on decision making. The focus of antirheumatic therapy should be on the achievement of an early and sustained remission in RA patients.