Flufenamic Acid and Placebo Compared in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Forty patients in general practice with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis were identified as suffering from moderate pain and tenderness and moderate stiffness in excess of 30 minutes. After discontinuation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for 2 weeks, a crossover study was conducted comparing the benefits of flufenamic acid, 100 mg, four times daily with placebo. At the same time, paracetamol at a dose up to 8 x 500 mg daily, could be used for pain which the patient judged to be unrelieved. Thirty-four patients completed the two 3-week test periods and twenty-one patients were improved in relation to morning stiffness and pain by flufenamic acid and twelve patients by placebo--a difference greater than would have occurred by chance (p = 0.05). At the same time, paracetamol consumption was reduced significantly fron a mean of 91.29 tablets to 60.68 tablets for each 3-week period. Side-effects occurred in ten patients on placebo and fifteen patients on flufenamic acid. One patient on each medication had to discontinue for multiple side-effects. Diarrhoea occurred in two patients on flufenamic acid and in one patient on placebo. Flufenamic acid is clearly effective and side-effects do not occur more often than would be expected by chance when compared with placebo.

Release of the Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Flufenamic Acid by Multiparticulate Delivery Systems Promotes Adipogenic Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

“…FA acts not only as an anti-inflammatory drug [37], but also as an adjuvant for adipogenic differentiation. This NSAID can be easily obtained, is not expensive and is already approved by FDA to treat several diseases, such as rheumatic arthritis, which constitute significant advantages for its clinical use [43,44]. Therefore, implication of FA in future ATE applications could be considered a safe and economical choice.…”

Flufenamic acid enhances current through maxi-K channels in the trabecular meshwork of the eye

“…Although other, potentially harmful effects on the human eye have to be ruled out, flufenamic acid -with its long history of being used in the treatment of rheumatoid disorders, 8 and its potentially pressure reducing 7 and neuroprotective properties 9 - may be of interest in the search for new drugs to combat glaucoma.…”

“…5 Previous research has shown that flufenamic acid is a substance that relaxes trabecular meshwork more strongly than ciliary muscle and might therefore lower intraocular pressure. 7 This drug, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compound which is used in the treatment of rheumatoid disorders, has already been in use clinically for a long time, 8 although not in the treatment of glaucoma. The fact that flufenamic acid has recently been shown to display neuroprotective properties in the retina 9 adds to our interest.…”

Regulation of Trabecular Meshwork Contractility

“…Flufenamic acid, a therapeutically used antirheumatic agent [76, 77, 78], relaxed trabecular meshwork strips precontracted by carbachol or endothelin 1 [32](fig. 5).…”