[Immunomodulating therapy in chronic polyarthritis with thymopentin. A multicenter placebo-controlled study of 119 patients].

In a multicenter, placebo-controlled and randomized double-blind trial 119 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were treated with thymopentin, an immunoregulating drug. The data of 107 patients were complete enough to be evaluated: 51 were given intravenous injections over ten minutes of 50 mg thymopentin three times weekly, 56 were similarly treated with a placebo solution. Significant improvement of five among nine clinical criteria were obtained with thymopentin after the third week of treatment. The response rate (improvement of a clinical parameter by at least 40%) was significantly greater for all clinical parameters in the thymopentin group. Regression to a functionally more favourable class (Steinbrocker's classification) occurred in seven thymopentin-treated, but in none of the placebo-treated patients. The improvement gradually subsided over four weeks after the end of treatment. There were no changes during the trial with respect to immunological, biochemical or haematological findings. Except for one systemic allergic reaction there were no side effects.