Post-marketing survey of nimesulide in the short-term treatment of osteoarthritis.

A multicentric trial was carried out to assess the therapeutic efficacy and tolerability of nimesulide in the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis. The trial involved 1600 general practitioners, 80 orthopedists and 88 specialists in internal medicine. A total of 22,938 ambulatory patients was admitted to the trial. Patients were given nimesulide tablets (40%) or granules (60%) from 100 to 400 mg/day for a length of time ranging from 1 to 3 weeks. The treatment was effective in relieving spontaneous pain and morning stiffness. The level of patients with adverse reactions, presumably related to nimesulide and mostly involving the gastro-intestinal tract, was 8%. The results of this study suggest that nimesulide is effective and well tolerated in the short-term treatment of a large number of patients with osteoarthritis.