Ketoprofen -- a new anti-rheumatic agent

Ketoprofen (100 mg/day) and indomethacin (100 mg/day) were compared in a double-blind cross-over trial of four weeks duration in 46 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The drugs were equally effective in all parameters measured, apart from the paracetamol (rescue drug) tablet count which favoured indomethacin. In a similarly designed study the same dosages of the two drugs were compared in 44 patients with osteoarthrosis of the hip. No significant differences occured between the two groups. A further double-blind cross-over study of 4 weeks duration compared 200 mg ketoprofen/day and 300 mg phenylbutazone/day in 47 patients with osteoarthrosis of the hip. No significant differences occured between the two drugs. In all three studies, side-effects with ketoprofen were infrequent and mild. Biological monitoring throughout revealed no abnormality. These studies have shown ketoprofen to be an effective anti-inflammatory for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthrosis of the hip with an efficacy comparable to those of indomethacin and phenylbutazone.