The current literature shows the promise of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assessing response to therapy in RA but the heterogeneity of the methodology and the semi-quantitative nature of the image analysis limits its applicability. To evaluate the ability of DCE-MRI to serve as a biomarker for treatment-induced changes in RA associated synovial inflammation, the reproducibility of the measurement and an effect size are required. Additional endpoints such as synovial volume, bone erosion progression and bone marrow edema-like changes may also prove useful for short-term assessment of a therapeutic intervention, but have not been explored in the context of a pharmacodynamic biomarker. It is therefore critical to conduct a carefully designed longitudinal study, focused on identifying the key parameters related to the instrumentation and data analysis, to fully evaluate the potential utility of MRI in an early clinical development setting. Importantly, this study will also demonstrate the feasibility of using DCE-MRI at multiple centers to acquire useful information that will drive program decisions.