TY - JOUR T1 - EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis with synthetic and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: 2013 update JF - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases JO - Ann Rheum Dis DO - 10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-204573 SP - annrheumdis-2013-204573 AU - Josef S Smolen AU - Robert Landewé AU - Ferdinand C Breedveld AU - Maya Buch AU - Gerd Burmester AU - Maxime Dougados AU - Paul Emery AU - Cécile Gaujoux-Viala AU - Laure Gossec AU - Jackie Nam AU - Sofia Ramiro AU - Kevin Winthrop AU - Maarten de Wit AU - Daniel Aletaha AU - Neil Betteridge AU - Johannes W J Bijlsma AU - Maarten Boers AU - Frank Buttgereit AU - Bernard Combe AU - Maurizio Cutolo AU - Nemanja Damjanov AU - Johanna M W Hazes AU - Marios Kouloumas AU - Tore K Kvien AU - Xavier Mariette AU - Karel Pavelka AU - Piet L C M van Riel AU - Andrea Rubbert-Roth AU - Marieke Scholte-Voshaar AU - David L Scott AU - Tuulikki Sokka-Isler AU - John B Wong AU - Désirée van der Heijde Y1 - 2013/10/23 UR - http://ard.bmj.com/content/early/2013/10/23/annrheumdis-2013-204573.abstract N2 - In this article, the 2010 European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with synthetic and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (sDMARDs and bDMARDs, respectively) have been updated. The 2013 update has been developed by an international task force, which based its decisions mostly on evidence from three systematic literature reviews (one each on sDMARDs, including glucocorticoids, bDMARDs and safety aspects of DMARD therapy); treatment strategies were also covered by the searches. The evidence presented was discussed and summarised by the experts in the course of a consensus finding and voting process. Levels of evidence and grades of recommendations were derived and levels of agreement (strengths of recommendations) were determined. Fourteen recommendations were developed (instead of 15 in 2010). Some of the 2010 recommendations were deleted, and others were amended or split. The recommendations cover general aspects, such as attainment of remission or low disease activity using a treat-to-target approach, and the need for shared decision-making between rheumatologists and patients. The more specific items relate to starting DMARD therapy using a conventional sDMARD (csDMARD) strategy in combination with glucocorticoids, followed by the addition of a bDMARD or another csDMARD strategy (after stratification by presence or absence of adverse risk factors) if the treatment target is not reached within 6 months (or improvement not seen at 3 months). Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, etanercept, golimumab, infliximab, biosimilars), abatacept, tocilizumab and, under certain circumstances, rituximab are essentially considered to have similar efficacy and safety. If the first bDMARD strategy fails, any other bDMARD may be used. The recommendations also address tofacitinib as a targeted sDMARD (tsDMARD), which is recommended, where licensed, after use of at least one bDMARD. Biosimilars are also addressed. These recommendations are intended to inform rheumatologists, patients, national rheumatology societies and other stakeholders about EULAR's most recent consensus on the management of RA with sDMARDs, glucocorticoids and bDMARDs. They are based on evidence and expert opinion and intended to improve outcome in patients with RA. ER -