Milestones in anti-inflammatory therapy.

The anti-inflammatory era opened with aspirin, which for decades was the first-line treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Striking advances have occurred in recent years with the introduction of propionic acid derivatives like ibuprofen and once-a-day drugs like piroxicam. The class now includes a range of drugs with properties suited to the range of clinical indications presented by rheumatic disorders. Anti-inflammatory drugs are now and will continue to be the mainstay of symptomatic therapy for arthritis.