Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an agonizing autoimmune disorder of uncertain origin leading to chronic inflammation at the joints. RA develops in three stages. Nearly 46 million Americans or more than 21 percent of the adult population are affected by this disorder. The origin of RA is unknown but the disease can be controlled by way of new drugs exercise joint protection skills and self-management techniques.

The Irish pharmaceutical company Elan Corp Plc and its US partner Biogen Idec Inc released information on Monday that their MS drug Tysabri has been found to bring improvements in the condition of patients after two years. It had previously been though only to slow the progress of the disease. In the wake of this new information shares in Elan rose by almost five percent as commentators posit that the company's analysis of these results might increase confidence among doctors.