Double-Blind Crossover Study of Nabumetone versus Naproxen in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Twenty-one patients entered a double-blind crossover study to compare nabumetone with naproxen. After a I-week run-in period using a coated acetylsalicylic acid preparation, ten patients received nabumetone (1 g at night) over a period of 2 weeks, followed by 2 weeks on naproxen (250 mg b.i.d), while eleven patients received the same treatments in the reverse order. Morning stiffness, overall pain and night pain showed no significant difference after either treatment. A wide range of objective measurements were made relating to the hips, knees, and cervical and lumbar spine. No statistically significant differences were observed in the relatively small number of patients involved. Both treatments, however, appeared to produce a similar improvement in the patients. The physician's assessment showed that improvement occurred in a majority of the patients over the total trial period. Both drugs were considered to be equally effective and were both well tolerated. There was no special patient preference for either the first or second treatment. A total of eight patients reported side-effects, three during naproxen alone, three during both treatments, and two during the run-in period. In terms of tolerance, fifteen patients had no drug preference, six preferred nabumetone, none preferred naproxen. No evidence was found of changes in renal, hepatic or haematopoietic function with the two drugs tested.