Editorial doi:10.1093/rheumatology/ker149

The updated guidelines on the use of rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis Existing challenges and future opportunities This editorial refers to BSR and BHPR guidelines on the use of rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis, by Marwan Bukhari et al., doi:10.1093/rheumatology/ ker106a. RA management has improved dramatically in recent years; in order to achieve remission and prevent further joint damage, treatment should be initiated early in the course of the disease. Successful treatment options in-clude conventional DMARDs, used separately or in com-bination, and biologic DMARDs. Patients who fail to respond to or cannot tolerate conventional DMARDs are eligible to start TNF-a inhibitors, the first and most com