[New antirheumatics : Advances for patients and society]

The current repertoire of conventional, biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) presents wide-ranging options to help patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases. These therapeutic possibilities have improved quality of life for many patients and also had a positive impact at the societal level. Among these positive effects are a reduction in short-term inability to work and early retirement; for paediatric patients they represent an opportunity for an almost normal school life including physical education. The development of formulations adapted to patients' needs has greatly facilitated the long-term treatment of these chronic diseases. Further additions to the therapeutic spectrum can be expected in the years to come, including new oral synthetic DMARDs. Even for rare inflammatory rheumatic diseases, various therapeutic options should be available soon, thus increasing these patients' chances of a life with significantly fewer impairments. As German trial sites are participating in many clinical trials on inflammatory rheumatic diseases, there are many opportunities to mediate patients to a trial if the approved treatment options do not prove satisfactory.