LORNOXICAM VERSUS DICLOFENAC IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS - A DOUBLE-BLIND, MULTICENTER STUDY

Lornoxicam, a new, powerful nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), has shown marked activity in experimental models and clinical efficacy in arthrosis. This 3-week, double-blind multicenter study compared lornoxicam (12 mg/d) and diclofenac sodium (150 mg/d) in 316 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Both drugs produced statistically significant improvement in all clinical parameters from the first week of therapy onward, and no significant differences emerged between the two treatments. Side effects, usually involving the gastrointestinal tract, occurred in 20.9% of patients treated with lornoxicam and 19% of those treated with diclofenac. Side effects caused premature discontinuation of therapy in 10 (6.3%) patients in the lornoxicam group and 7 (4.4%) in the diclofenac group. For treatment of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, lornoxicam was as effective as diclofenac sodium. Its safety was comparable to that of diclofenac, which is considered one of the best-tolerated NSAIDs.