A new anti-inflammatory drug, proquazone, and ibuprofen in the treatment of degenerative joint disease of the knee (gonarthrosis). A double-blind comparative study.

The therapeutic effect and the tolerance of a new non-steriod anti-inflammatory compound, proquazone, were compared with those of ibuprofen in a double-blind, randomized study on patients with gonarthrosis. Totally 39 patients participated in the study: 19 patients in the proquazone group and 20 patients in the ibuprofen group. The two drugs were given in daily doses of 900 mg and 1200 mg respectively during 3 weeks. In both treatment groups a good result was achieved in more than 70% of the cases, but proquazone seemed to be more effective in reducing swelling and pain of knee. There were more side effects in the proquazone group than in the ibuprofen group, but they were generally mild and disappeared spontaneously. Only one patient in the proquazone group withdrew, because of epigastric discomfort.