A Study To Investigate GW274150 Or Prednisolone In Rheumatoid Arthritis Taken Repeatedly For 28 Days.

Inclusion criteria:

• Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis according to the revised 1987 criteria of the American College of Rheumatology
• Female subjects who are not capable of becoming pregnant
• Active disease defined as Disease Activity Score (DAS) 28 = 4.0 and at least one metacarpal-phalangeal finger (MCP) joint with either detectable vascularity or thickness
• Stable doses of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), (which can include but is not restricted to methotrexate, sulphasalazine and hydroxychloroquine in any combination) for 8 weeks prior to enrollment
• Patients receiving methotrexate must be on stable folate supplements
• Must have been on stable doses for 2 weeks prior to screening if using COX inhibitors
• Signed consent form
• The patient is able to understand and comply with protocol requirements, instructions and protocol-stated restrictions

Exclusion criteria:

• The subject is using, or has used, oral glucocorticoids within 8 weeks of enrollment
• The subject is currently receiving anti-rheumatic biological therapy (e.g. infliximab, adalimumab, etanercept or anakinra)
• The subject received their final dose of infliximab or adalimumab within 3 months of enrollment
• The subject received their final dose of etanercept or anakinra within 1 month of enrollment
• The subject has received another investigational drug within 30 days
• The subject drinks more than 28 units (male) or 21 units (female) of alcohol in a week
• History of liver or renal disease in the 6 months prior to screening
• The subject has a history of drug or other allergy
• Subject is positive for Hepatitis B and C or HIV virus
• The subject has positive pregnancy test
• The subject has positive test for drugs of abuse