A comparison of tenoxicam and piroxicam in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Tenoxicam 20 mg OD was compared with piroxicam 20 mg OD for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). One hundred and two patients from 5 centers were enrolled: 51 in the tenoxicam group and 51 in the piroxicam group. Evaluation of the primary efficacy variables demonstrated no difference in efficacy between treatment groups. The overall incidence of adverse clinical/laboratory experiences was similar between treatment groups. Six patients discontinued the study because of gastrointestinal intolerance, 3 from each treatment group. Our study demonstrates that tenoxicam 20 mg OD and piroxicam 20 mg OD have similar efficacy and safety in patients with active RA.