Comparison of isoxicam and naproxen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A 4-week parallel group, double-blind...

A 4-week parallel-group, double-blind study comparing isoxicam with naproxen was carried out in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Both isoxicam and naproxen were found to be effective. In patients on isoxicam significant improvements in the articular index, grip strength, joint swelling, morning stiffness and the patients' overall clinical condition were observed: the results for naproxen were similar, but joint swelling did not improve. At the 2-week assessment naproxen produced significantly better results than isoxicam in terms of the articular index and the physician's assessment of the patients' condition, but this difference was not maintained at the 4-week assessment. This apparently more rapid onset of activity of naproxen is probably related to its shorter elimination half-life. No adverse experiences were reported during isoxicam treatment and this drug was better tolerated than naproxen.