Study: Vioxx Offers Better Pain Relief for Knee Osteoarthritis

Rofecoxib (Vioxx) offers better pain relief for patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis than other drugs, according to researchers at the Arthritis Center of Nebraska and Northwestern University.

Researchers developed a study to assess the effectiveness of rofecoxib, celecoxib (Celebrex) and acetaminophen in adults with knee osteoarthritis.

The double-blind, randomized study was conducted from June 1999 to February 2000 in 29 U.S. clinical centers consisting of 382 patients age 40 and older. Patients were randomly assigned to receive rofecoxib (12.5 mg per day), rofecoxib (25 mg per day), celecoxib (200 mg per day) or acetaminophen (4000 mg per day) for 6 weeks.

Measurements were taken of pain on walking, night pain, pain at rest and morning stiffness, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Thirty-one percent of the participants who were given acetaminophen quit the study due to lack of effectiveness of their treatment, compared with about 18 percent in the other groups. Effectiveness assessed during the first six months of the study showed the greatest response was seen in the group given rofecoxib (25 mg), followed by rofecoxib (12.5 mg), celecoxib and acetaminophen.

"All treatments were generally safe and well tolerated," said the researchers.

Other sources: Journal of the American Medical Association