Remission is the aim of treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Early treatment with tight control of inflammation and the use of targeted biological therapies has greatly increased remission rates in recent years. This article reviews the remarkable changes in the management of RA patients that have taken place over the last 30 years, with a switch from a cautious slow escalation of therapy to the use of earlier aggressive treatment allowing words such as “remission” and “cure” to become a reality in clinical practice. Int J Adv Rheumatol 2011;9(3):77–83.