Auranofin and sodium aurothiomalate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. A double-blind, comparative multicenter...

Auranofin (AF), a new gold compound, has been suggested as an alternative to parenteral gold in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This hypothesis has been tested within a double-blind comparative study and to date 103 patients have been enrolled. Forty-one RA patients have been treated for longer than 6 months. The patients were randomly allocated to treatment with either AF or sodium aurothiomalate (GSTM) and serial comparison of changes within the articular index, grip strength, pain, morning stiffness, and global assessment during treatment were measured. Improvement was noted within both treatment groups. Diarrhea as a side effect was most commonly seen during treatment with AF while rash often combined with pruritus was most commonly reported with GSTM; withdrawal from treatment as the result of this was nevertheless uncommon.