During the last few years, there have been rapid developments in the drug treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. This has led to research into the role of combination therapy. While past combinations of slow-acting antirheumatic drugs have resulted in either an excessive number of adverse events or a lack of increased efficacy over single agent therapy, newer combinations appear to be more promising. It has recently been demonstrated that the combination of cyclosporin and methotrexate is more effective than methotrexate alone, with no increase in adverse effects. Improved trial methodology and a better understanding of the mechanism of action of these newer agents are assisting in the development of new combinations.