A multicenter, randomized, double blind study comparing lornoxicam with diclofenac in osteoarthritis

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease causing pain and functional impairment.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used for OA symptom management.
• Lornoxicam and diclofenac are NSAIDs with established analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy and tolerability of lornoxicam versus diclofenac in OA patients over 12 weeks.
• To assess the long-term efficacy and tolerability of lornoxicam in OA patients for up to 40 weeks.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, parallel-group study randomized 135 OA patients (hip/knee) to lornoxicam (4mg tid or 8mg bid) or diclofenac (50mg tid) for 12 weeks.
• 85 patients continued with lornoxicam (4mg tid or 8mg bid) for an additional 40 weeks.
• Efficacy was measured by the functional index of severity for OA, disease activity, and pain intensity.

Main Results:

• Both lornoxicam dosages and diclofenac showed equivalent improvements in OA functional index and pain relief over 12 weeks.
• Patient-reported pain relief was high (80-89%) across all groups.
• Long-term lornoxicam use showed slight functional index deterioration, likely reflecting disease progression, with continued pain relief in most patients. Adverse events were comparable across groups and consistent with NSAID use.

Conclusions:

• Lornoxicam (4mg tid and 8mg bid) is as effective and well-tolerated as diclofenac (50mg tid) for 12-week OA treatment.
• Lornoxicam demonstrates good long-term tolerability in OA patients.
• Lornoxicam represents a viable therapeutic alternative to diclofenac for osteoarthritis management.