EFFICIENCY OF A HOMEOPATHIC DRUG IN RHEUM ATOID-ARTHRITIS - DISCUSSION OF CRITICAL REMARKS AND OUTLOOK

We published in this journal the results of a randomised double blind study on the efficiency of the homoeopathic drug ''Rheumaselect'' in t he treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (see reference 6). This study had a remarkable number of drop-outs and it was criticized that the stati stical evaluation was not based on the principle of ''intention to tre at''. Therefore, we performed a reanalysis according to ''intention to treat'' and still got a significant efficiency of the drug investigat ed. Nevertheless, we invite other investigators to conduct a second st udy for double-proofing the efficiency of the drug. But even more desi rable are randomized double-blind studies for the numerous phytotherap eutical and homoeopathical remedies where a convincing proof of effici ency is still missing.