[Proglumetacine in rheumatoid arthritis]

Proglumetacin, 450 mg/day, was administered during 1 month to 32 rheumatoid arthritis patients in anatomical and functional stage II or III. Overall, more than 50% of pts responded to the treatment, in particular those in stage II, in whom Ritchie's articular index, nightly and daily pain significantly decreased. Those pts in stage III who did not respond to proglumetacin even when administered at high dose, did not respond to indomethacin, either. Tolerance resulted very good, as only 3 complaints of mild and transient epigastric pain and 1 of skin rash were observed, but no one related to the C.N.S. High efficacy and good tolerance set therefore proglumetacin aside from indomethacin, A.S.A. and most of the recent non steroidal anti-inflammatory agents.