[Treatment of chronic polyarthritis with acemetacin and indomethacin]

In a controlled double blind study the therapeutic efficacy and tolerability of equimolar doses of [1-(p-chlorobenzoyl)-5-methoxy-2-methylindol-3-acetoxy] acetic acid (acemetacin, TV 1322, Rantudil) and indometacin (acemetacin: 180 mg/day, indometacin: 150 mg/day) were studied in 40 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The period of treatment lasted 42 days. With the exception of the parameter "state of the joint" a statistically confirmed improvement was detectable in the acemetacin group. The parameter "pain" was significantly improved after acemetacin as well after indometacin. With regard to the test criteria "functional disturbances" and "inflammation" only acemetacin was able to achieve a significant improvement. Neither of the antirheumatic agents had a significantly positive influence on the "state of the joint". The therapeutic effect on the course of the disease was better in the group treated with acemetacin than in the group treated with indometacin. However, the difference was not statistically significant. The number of undesired effects which occurred in the acemetacin group was smaller and less pronounced than in the indometacin group. In one instance, the therapy in the acemetacin group was discontinued because of a glossitis and stomatitis. one patient in the control group was excluded from the study owing to heamatemesis.