2023 Volume 35 Issue 4 Pages 221-233
In 1999, MTX was approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis（RA）, and Rheumatorex® 2mg capsules, which are different from the conventional 2.5mg tablets, were introduced in Japan.
According to the drug treatment algorithm of the RA Clinical Practice Guidelines 2020, once RA is diagnosed, MTX is first selected in Phase I, taking into account contraindications, age, renal function, and pulmonary complications, and becomes the mainstay of RA treatment. It is positioned as an “anchor drug”.
In 2011, the Japan College of Rheumatology created the MTX treatment guidelines for RA treatment, and the second edition was created in 2016 and the third edition was created in 2023 under the name “Guidance for the use and treatment of MTX in RA.” It has become a “yosuga（the point of reference）” that can be used properly.
We focused on what our department has already reported in the Japanese Society of Clinical Rheumatology and the academic journal “Clinical Rheumatology.” This article describes the actual usage of MTX, including how to use the subcutaneous injection preparation.
