Table 1

Characteristics of patients enrolled in placebo controlled, double blind, randomised controlled trials of the addition of tumour necrosis factor α blocking agents to methotrexate in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis

		No of patients
First author	Therapeutic agent	Placebo	Active treatment	Age (years)	Female (%)	Duration of RA (years)	RF(+) (%)
NS, not stated; RF, rheumatoid factor.
*Combined treatment groups (3 mg/kg every 4 weeks, 3 mg/kg every 8 weeks, 10 mg/kg every 4 weeks, 10 mg/kg every 8 weeks).
†Treatment group that received 40 mg every other week.
Weinblatt ²¹	Etanercept	30	59	50	84	13	86
Maini ¹⁹	Infliximab	88	340*	53	78	8.5	81
Weinblatt ²²	Adalimumab	62	67†	56	78	12	NS
Keystone ²³	Adalimumab	200	207†	56	75	11	79