Long-term use of azapropazone in rheumatoid conditions.

In an open assessment of azapropazone, 51 patients with rheumatoid disorders, mainly rheumatoid arthritis, were treated continuously for periods up to 3 years (range 2 weeks to 38 months). Treatment was interrupted or discontinued in 9 patients for various reasons. Initial dosage was 1200 mg. daily, but this was usually reduced after a few months to a maintenance level of 900 mg. daily. An overall assessment of patient response at the end of the study period indicated that only 4 (7.8%) of the 51 patients failed to obtain satisfactory relief during treatment: 28 (54.6%) showed objective signs of improvement, such as reduced joint swelling and stiffness, as well as subjective evidence of symptom relief, and a further 19 patients (37.3%) reported an equivocal analgesic effect with azapropazone. Few side-effects were reported, mainly mild gastralgia and nausea, and routine laboratory investigations throughout the long-term study revealed no abnormalities in the blood picture, liver or renal function or coagulation factors. There was also no evidence of any interaction between azapropazone and other drugs used concomitantly.