Source: DGNews  |  Posted 9 years ago

By Bruce Sylvester

NEW ORLEANS, LA -- October 29, 2002 -- A retrospective analysis of data from two clinical trials indicates that valdecoxib is effective for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) when administered with or without other common medications for RA.

The findings were presented here October 28 at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

"Our analysis of the data from these two pivotal clinical trials suggested that patients experienced additional relief from the pain and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis when they were given BEXTRA (valdecoxib) in addition to other types of medications such as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or low-dose corticosteroids," said lead author Arthur Weaver, M.D., director of clinical research at the Arthritis Center of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States.

The studies also included subjects receiving no concomitant therapy, methotrexate or other DMARDs, or prednisone 10 mg/daily (or equivalent). A total of 95 subjects ( approximately 4.5 percent of the total) received etanercept.

Investigators analyzed pooled data from the two independent, 12 week, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled studies, originally designed to determine the efficacy and tolerability for RA subjects of valdecoxib 10 mg once daily or 20 mg daily compared with naproxen 500 mg bid, or placebo.

All subjects discontinued non-steroidal anti-inflammatory therapy and had RA flare prior to entry.

The investigators measured efficacy using the ACR-20 Responders Index, duration of morning stiffness, and Patient