Historical overview of the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with an emphasis on methotrexate.

We have reviewed the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in pertinent selected literature with a focus on methotrexate (MTX). Considerable progress has been made over the last 120 years since the introduction of salicylates to treat rheumatic symptoms. Most slow acting antirheumatic drugs became widely used in the years after the second world war. MTX became widely accepted in the 1980s although early reports of its use predate that time. The historical perspective of the development of agents to treat RA indicates that most significant advances are concentrated in the last 45 years, especially the last 15 years. This trend will likely continue.