A double-blind study of zaltoprofen for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infection.

We conducted a double-blind study to evaluate the antipyretic and analgesic effects of a single administration of zaltoprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, in patients with acute upper respiratory tract infection. 170 patients were assigned to one of the 3 treatment groups (80, 160 mg, placebo). Changes over time of body temperature and the visual analog scale score of pain were measured under the supervision of the study staff at the participating medical institutions. A significant decrease in body temperature from the baseline value was noted at all measurement points from 0.5 to 6 h after drug administration in the zaltoprofen groups. The lowest temperature during the observation period was recorded between 3 and 4 h, and the body temperature tended to rise at 6 h. No significant decrease in body temperature was noted at any time during the observation period in the placebo group. A significant decrease in pain scores from the baseline was noted at all measurement points in the zaltoprofen groups, and the decrease was maintained even at 6 h. An analgesic effect but no antipyretic effect was observed in the placebo group.