The use of rituximab for treating rheumatoid arthritis to result in a beneficial clinical response in a patient who experiences an inadequate response to a TNF-alpha inhibitor. The rituximab is administered in two doses each containing 1000mg of the antibody. The first dose is administered on day 1 of treatment and the second dose is administered on day 15. A beneficial clinical response is an ARC50 response, an ARC70 response or no erosive progression at weeks 24 and beyond. The rituximab is to be administered to patients also receiving methotrexate treatment.
