Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Huskisson, E. C.
Right arrow Articles by Bluhmki, E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Huskisson, E. C.
Right arrow Articles by Bluhmki, E.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1996 British Society for Rheumatology

A Long-Term Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Meloxicam Therapy in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

E. C. Huskisson*, R. Ghozlan{dagger}, R. Kurthen{ddagger}, F. L. Degner§ and E. Bluhmki

* St Bartholomews Hospital West Smithfield, London ECIA 7BE
{dagger} Service Rhumatologic, Polyclinique de La Roseraie 93300 Aubervilliers, France
{ddagger} Karlsgraben 15 52064 Aachen, Germany
§ Dr Karl Thomae GmbH, Birkendorfer Straβe65 88397 Biberach/Riss, Germany
Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Birkendorfer Straβe65 88397 Biberach/Riss, Germany

Correspondence to: Correspondence to: E. C. Huskisson, 14A Millford House, 7 Queen Anne's Street, London W1M 9FD.


  Abstract

Meloxicam is a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which has a higher activity against cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) than against cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), with potentially high anti-inflammatory and analgesic action. This study was designed to assess the long-term safety and efficacy of meloxicam 15 mg daily. Three hundred and fifty-seven patients (aged 19–84 yr, mean 56 yr) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) received meloxicam 15 mg orally once dairy, for up to 18 months. Sixty-six per cent of patients remained on therapy for 18 months. Mean global efficacy, assessed by each patient on a visual analogue scale (0 cm = excellent, 10 cm = useless), was 3.32 ± 3.1 cm at the last study visit (all patients included) and 2.33 ± 2.25 cm after 18 months. Health status, general condition, morning stiffness, grip strength of right hand, Ritchie joint index, pain in the morning and pain at night all improved significantly. Efficacy was maintained throughout the study. Only 11.4% of patients discontinued prematurely due to lack of efficacy. Mean global tolerance was good. Twenty-eight per cent of patients experienced gastrointestinal (GI) adverse events, 21% musculoskeletal system disorders, 18% skin disorders and 15% respiratory disorders. Only 13.7% of patients discontinued due to adverse events. Severe GI effects, such as perforation, ulcer and bleeding, occurred in only three patients (0.8%). Withdrawals due to GI adverse events occurred in 3.9% of patients. Meloxicam 15 mg once daily was effective and compared favourably with standard NSAIDs regarding tolerance when administered to patients with RA over an 18 month period.

KEY WORDS: Meloxicam, NSAID, Long-term, Rheumatoid arthritis


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.