[Rheumatology].

The advent of monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of rheumatic diseases has revolutionized our understanding of therapeutic efficacy. Only a few years ago, response rates of >70% combined with significant reductions in inflammatory activity and radiologic progression would have been impossible. At the same time, however, issues of safety and cost have gained in importance and challenge physicians and patients alike. Making these new drugs available to as many eligible patients as possible requires a thorough documentation of disease activity using standardized outcome measures as well as a profound knowledge of their safety profiles. In addition, institutional guidelines for the use of these agents need to be as close to the cutting edge of science as possible. The following article presents an overview of currently available biologic agents in rheumatology and a prospect of those to come.