EXTENDED REPORT

Lumiracoxib is effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a 13 week, randomised, double blind study versus placebo and celecoxib

H Tannenbaum¹, F Berenbaum², J-Y Reginster³, J Zacher⁴, J Robinson⁵, G Poor⁶, H Bliddal⁷, D Uebelhart⁸, S Adami⁹, F Navarro¹⁰, A Lee¹¹, A Moore¹¹, A Gimona¹¹

¹ Rheumatic Disease Centre of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
² Hpital St Antoine, Paris, France
³ CHU de Lige, Lige, Belgium
⁴ Orthopdische Klinik, HELIOS Klinikum Berlin, Germany
⁵ Synexus Ltd, Liverpool, UK
⁶ Orszagos Reumatologiai es Fizioterapias, Budapest, Hungary
⁷ Frederiksberg Hospital, Frederiksberg, Denmark
⁸ Universitt Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
⁹ Centro di Osteoporosis, Verona, Italy
¹⁰ Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, Spain
¹¹ Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland

Correspondence to:
Dr H Tannenbaum
Rheumatic Disease Centre of Montreal, 4060 SteCatherine St West, Suite 740, Montreal, H3Z 2Z3 QC, Canada htannattglobal.net

Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of lumiracoxib with placebo and celecoxib for osteoarthritis OA in a 13 week, multicentre, randomised, double blind study.

Methods: After a 37 day washout period for nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, 1702 patients with knee OA were randomised to lumiracoxib 200 or 400mg once daily od, celecoxib 200mg od, or placebo 2221. A visual analogue scale VAS pain intensity 40mm was required. Primary efficacy variables were OA pain intensity VAS mm in the target knee, patients global assessment of disease activity VAS mm, and WOMAC pain subscale and total scores at 13weeks. OA pain intensity, patients and physicians global assessment of disease activity, and WOMAC total and all subscale scores were analysed by visit as secondary variables.

Results: Lumiracoxib showed significant improvements in all primary and secondary variables compared with placebo. Lumiracoxib 200mg od and celecoxib 200mg od achieved similar improvements in OA pain intensity and functional status. Lumiracoxib 400mg od demonstrated better efficacy for OA pain intensity and patients global assessment of disease activity at weeks 2, 4, and 8 and similar efficacy at week 13 compared with celecoxib 200mg od. The incidence of adverse events AEs, serious AEs, and discontinuations due to AEs was similar in each group.

Conclusion: Lumiracoxib demonstrated significant improvement in OA pain intensity, patients global assessment of disease activity, and the WOMAC pain subscale and total scores compared with placebo. Lumiracoxib was well tolerated in this study, with overall tolerability similar to that of placebo and celecoxib.

Abbreviations: AE, adverse event; COX, cyclooxygenase; DPDA, difficulty in performing daily activities; ECG, electrocardiogram; GI, gastrointestinal; ITT, intention to treat; NOS, not otherwise specified; NSAID, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug; OA, osteoarthritis; od, once daily; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; SAE, serious adverse event; VAS, visual analogue scale; WOMAC, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index

Keywords: lumiracoxib; osteoarthritis; pain relief; celecoxib

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