All patients who completed the planned course of treatment or escape therapy in the WA17822 study were eligible to enter the WA18695 long-term extension study, where they were assigned to treatment with 8 mg/kg RoActemra/Actemra plus MTX. The dose of RA medications such as MTX and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but excluding corticosteroids, was to be kept stable for the first 48 weeks of the WA18695 study. During this time dose reductions in these treatments were only allowed as clinically required for safety reasons. After week 48, the administration of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and NSAIDs could be changed, according to the investigator's practice and as tolerated by the patient.