A review of the antiarthritic efficacy and safety of etodolac.

Etodolac (Lodine, Ramodar, Ultradol), an anti-inflammatory, analgesic agent, is the first of a new class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the pyranocarboxylic acids. A review of the literature on numerous clinical studies showed that etodolac (200 to 600 mg/day) is effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Etodolac has also been shown to be very well tolerated. In double-blind studies, there were no significant differences in the incidences of new patient complaints except for indigestion between etodolac-treated groups and placebo-treated groups. Gastrointestinal microbleeding associated with etodolac was comparable to that with placebo and was significantly less than that associated with other commonly used NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, indomethacin, piroxicam, and naproxen. The results of laboratory tests, including a detailed analysis of hepatic and renal function, have revealed few abnormalities, most of which were clinically unimportant. When administered to healthy subjects, etodolac had no pharmacokinetic interactions with three other drugs that are highly bound to serum protein: warfarin, glyburide, and phenytoin.