Genentech, Inc. and Biogen Idec have announced that a Phase III clinical study of Rituxan® (rituximab) in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have not previously been treated with methotrexate (MTX) met its primary endpoint. In this study, known as IMAGE, patients received two infusions of either 500 mg or 1000 mg of Rituxan or placebo for up to two treatment courses in combination with a stable dose of MTX. At week 52, only patients in the 1000 mg treatment group met the primary endpoint