A comparative study of the long-term efficacy of flurbiprofen and indomethacin in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, with special reference to iron metabolism.

Preliminary results are reported for the first 23 rheumatoid arthritis patients entered in a long-term, double-blind trial to compare the efficacy of flurbiprofen and indomethacin. It was planned that, unless withdrawn, patients from matched pairs received either flurbiprofen (150 mg to 300 mg daily) or indomethacin (75 mg to 150 mg daily) over a minimum period of 6 months, dosage being adjusted to suit exacerbations and remission of disease. In addition to clinical assessments of severity of pain, duration and severity of morning stiffness, joint size and joint score, routine laboratory measurements were carried out, including estimates of serum iron and total iron binding capacity, rheumatoid factor and immunoglobulin levels. This interim report gives the statistical analysis of results from the 17 patients completing from 2 to 4 months of treatment and shows that both drugs were equally effective in controlling disease activity. Withdrawals due to side-effects or exacerbations of disease were similar for both drugs.