RETRO (REduction of Therapy in RA Patients in Ongoing Remission)

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is characterized by progressive synovitis leading to degradation of articular cartilage leading to erosions in juxtaarticular bones driven by auto antibodies. Few clinical studies could show that quick and thorough control of inflammatory processes could stop degradation processes \[17, 18, 19, 20, 21\] and had presumably better prognosis of remission than untreated and/or uncontrolled RA disease \[20\]. These studies aimed at low disease activity \[20\], often focused on early RA \[18, 19\], evaluating different therapy strategies, mostly escalating instead of deescalating medications \[20, 21\]. Real "RA- in - remission" or therapy reduction studies are missing up to now, even if first small trials focusing on one preparation showed promising results \[16, 17\]. In this study all conventional medications in usual combinations are being evaluated for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis in different stages of disease duration. The study is scheduled as a 365-day (12-months), phase 3 multicenter, randomized, open, prospective, controlled, parallel-group intervention study in 318 patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Based on the results of the clinical studies mentioned above, and the need for a guideline with therapy proposals for RA- patients in remission all current preparations will be evaluated in subjects under the controlled setting of a clinical study. The information obtained from this study will assess the formulation of new guidelines regarding patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in remission.