Preliminary studies with azapropazone in gout and hyperuricaemia

Eight patients with acute gouty arthritis were treated with high dose oral azapropazone 600 mg qds in an open study in order to evaluate its therapeutic potential in acute gout. The drug appeared to be as effective as previous agents used in the management of individual patient's acute gout with resolution of pain in 2-21 days, and it had a potent hypouricaemic and uricosuric effect. The uricosuric effect of azapropazone 300 mg qds and phenylbutazone 100 mg tds was compared in a seven day cross-over study in seven asymptomatic patients with gout and hyperuricaemia. Azapropazone had a more rapid uricosuric effect than phenylbutazone. There was a statistically significant fall in serum uric acid and rise in uric acid clearance 24 hours after starting azapropazone and 72 hours following phenylbutazone.