AIM: To campare the therapeutic effects and security between actarit (MS 932) and methotrexate(MTX) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA). METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients with RA were randomly divided into two groups. Eighty patients of actarit group receved actarit, 100 mg, po, tid for 12 wk. The other forty patients received methotrexate 10 mg, po, qw for 12 wk as control. RESULTS: The total effective rates were 73 % for actarit and 78 % for MTX (P>0.05). The adverse reactions were 9 % and 18 %(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Actarit is as same as methotrexate in the therapeutic effect, but actarit is better than MTX in security.