Chronic rheumatic diseases - Clinical evidence with piroxicam-beta-cyclodextrin

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) play an important role in all eviating pain, restoring function and improving quality of life in patients with chronic rheumatic diseases. Unfortunately, use of NSAIDs for long per iods is associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal adverse effec ts. Piroxicam-beta-cyclodextrin is a new NSAID which is absorbed rapidly an d thus achieves an early analgesic effect. A second potential advantage of more rapid absorption is that the drug is less likely to irritate the gastr ointestinal mucosa and cause local adverse effects. Indeed, clinical studie s of long term use of piroxicam-beta-cyclodextrin have shown that this agen t is at least as effective as other NSAIDs, with good gastrointestinal tole rability. This favourable risk-benefit profile of piroxicam-beta-cyclodextr in supports its use in the long term treatment of chronic rheumatic disease s.