OPEN TRIAL TO EXAMINE DANAZOL THERAPY AS A TREATMENT FOR RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS - A PRELIMINARY-REPORT

In order to evaluate the efficacy of danazol for rheumatoid arthritis, danazol was administered for 6 months to 19 Japanese patients with rh eumatoid arthritis, including 14 patients resistant to three or more d isease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and 12 postmenopausal women. The dosage was 200 mg/day in all but two patients, who received 100 mg/day Rheumatoid activity was evaluated before and 1, 2, 3, and 6 months af ter the administration of danazol. Good response in all primary and se condary parameters was noted in nine patients, including six resistant to several disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and seven postmenopa usal women. The mean disease duration was significantly longer in the nine patients who achieved a good response compared with that in the o ther patients, but no significant differences in the other factors wer e found between the two groups. Danazol was found to have efficacy for some patients resistant to several disease-modifying antirheumatic dr ugs, for some female patients, including postmenopausal women, and als o for patients with long disease durations.