Comparison of intramuscular and oral meloxicam in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Objective: This double-blind, double-dummy, two-way comparative trial evalu ated the overall efficacy and tolerability of intramuscular (im) vs oral me loxicam. Subjects: 346 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Treatment and Methods: 173 patients in each group were randomised to receiv e either im meloxicam (15 mg) plus a placebo tablet, or oral meloxicam (15 mg) plus a placebo injection for 7 days. Results: Significant (p<0.001) improvements in overall pain and disease act ivity were observed by patients treated with im and oral meloxicam, with no significant difference between treatments. The im formulation was better t han the oral tablet in terms of rapidity of action (p=0.012), global effica cy (p=0.030) and duration of morning stiffness (p=0.026). Local tolerabilit y of im meloxicam was very good and comparable with placebo injections. Conclusion: Oral and im meloxicam (15 mg) were both effective and well-tole rated for acute exacerbations of RA. The im formulation had some advantages , such as a faster onset of action.