Rimexolone is a locally active nonfluorinated glucocorticoid which has
minimal systemic effects and is virtually devoid of any atrophogenic
effects on the skin. It has high corticosteroid receptor affinity and
remains localised at the injection site for a prolonged period after i
ntra-articular injection. Thus, serum rimexolone concentrations remain
low. Rimexolone had the longest mean intra-articular residence time o
f several intra-articular steroid preparations (25 days, vs 6 days for
triamcinolone hexacetonide and 1 to 4 days for the other drugs, which
included methylprednisolone acetate), Single intra-articular injectio
ns of rimexolone provided long-lasting improvement of clinical efficac
y parameters in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.
in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, rimexolone was superior to plac
ebo for treating knee joints and superior to placebo and similar to me
thylprednisolone acetate for treating small joints of the hand. Inpati
ents with osteoarthritis of the knee joint, rimexolone was superior to
placebo, tended to be slightly more effective than methylprednisolone
acetate and was similar to triamcinolone acetonide or a depot prepara
tion of betamethasone dipropionate.