Comparison of diflunisal and aspirin in long-term treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

A multicenter, open-label clinical trial evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of diflunisal given twice daily and aspirin given four times daily in the long-term treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Patients who successfully completed a 12-week, double-blind, parallel study comparing diflunisal (500 to 750 mg daily) with aspirin (2.6 to 3.9 gm daily) continued on the same medication in a 40-week, open-label segment of the study. The dosage of diflunisal could be increased to a maximum of 1 gm daily during the open-label phase. Both regimens were effective during the 40-week study. Diflunisal was better tolerated than aspirin as judged by the overall incidence of clinical adverse experiences. Patients treated with diflunisal had significantly fewer adverse experiences involving the digestive system and organs of special sense than did those treated with aspirin.