Oxaprozin and sulindac in rheumatoid arthritis: a double-blind comparative trial.

Oxaprozin, an anti-inflammatory agent with a half-life of 50 hours, was compared in regard to efficacy and tolerance with sulindac in a 12-week double-blind parallel treatment trial of rheumatoid arthritis. Oxaprozin was given as a single morning daily dose of 1200 mg, sulindac was given as 200 mg twice daily. Analysis of the results from the 20 patients (10 in each group) who completed the trial indicated that both drugs produced statistically significant improvement in morning stiffness, walking speed and the Ritchie index, but only sulindac produced significant improvement in hand function. Neither drug was associated with significant side-effects.