Fenoprofen calcium in steroid treated rheumatoid arthritis: efficacy, safety, and steroid-sparing effect.

Twenty-one patients with active rheumatoid arthritis on maintenance corticosteroids were studied during a double-blind, crossover trial with fenoprofen. Fenoprofen showed significantly greater effect than did placebo on several subjective and objective measurements. In addition, patients were able to reduce their dose of corticosteroid to a level significantly lower than that during placebo periods. Though three patients dropped out of the study with gastrointestinal complaints while on fenoprofen, only one of these was believed to be drug-related. No serious adverse effects were encountered.