Other penicillamine-like drugs.

Drugs like penicillamine act slowly, benefit extraarticular features of the disease as well as the joints, reduce erythrocyte sedimentation rate and rheumatoid factor titer and may slow the progression of radiographic changes and alter the outcome of the disease. Their action is to some extent disease-dependent. The 1st choice of drugs of this type is now penicillamine. It compares favourably with other drugs of the same type including gold, azathioprine and levamisole. A number of compounds in the development stage offer potential advantages over currently available drugs of this class. A compound which was safe enough to be recommended for widespread use would take over the role of first-line treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.