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Objectives To compare Etanercept 50 mg subcutaneously (SC) weekly versus every other week in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are in sustained remission. Methods Patients with established RA and in remission as determined by the Disease Activity Score (DAS) remission criteria (DAS28 (CRP)  2.6) for at least six months were randomized 1:1 to continued weekly or tapered every other week treatment of Etanercept 50 mg SC. Treatment modifications were predefined if remission status was lost and NSAID treatment was not sufficient to restore disease control in two weeks. Restarting the weekly dose was the first step in the tapering arm. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients in remission at 6 months compared between the two arms. Secondary endpoints were the proportions of remission at 12 months, sustained remission for 12 months, the proportion and time to regain remission after a flare with a re-escalated weekly dose and possible baseline predictors for remission. Results Data from 37 patients in the weekly and 36 in the every other week arm were analysed. At 6 months, 83.8% of the weekly and 83.3% of the every other week arm were in remission (p=0.959). Eleven patients of the every other week group had to be re-escalated to a weekly dose and regained their remission state mostly fast. Younger age was a possible predictor for remission at month 6 (p=0.023). No statistically significant differences were shown in other secondary endpoints. Conclusion For patients with established RA, the TapERA trial showed that tapering Etanercept 50 mg SC to an every other week regimen is possible while keeping remission. If losing disease control, patients re-escalated to a weekly dose regain remission fast.