Flurbiprofen in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. A comparison with indomethacin

In this randomized, double-blind study, 57 patients with ankylosing spondylitis were evaluated after 26 weeks of treatment with either flurbiprofen (Ansaid, Upjohn) or indomethacin. Flurbiprofen administered four times a day in a total daily dose of 200 mg was effective in controlling the pain and associated symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis. Pain was adequately controlled in some patients following a total daily dose of 100 mg of flurbiprofen administered twice a day. Flurbiprofen was as effective as indomethacin in most key efficacy measurements analyzed. The drug was well tolerated in doses of up to 300 mg per day, and no clinically significant laboratory abnormalities were detected. Flurbiprofen is an excellent treatment for the control of pain and inflammation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.