An open study to assess the safety and tolerability of meloxicam 15 mg in subjects with rheumatic disease and mild renal impairment.

Meloxicam is a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which has shown potent anti-inflammatory properties but good gastrointestinal (GI) renal tolerability. The safety and tolerability profile of orally administered meloxicam 15 mg given once daily over a 28 day treatment period in renally impaired patients with rheumatic disease is presented here. A total of 25 patients (aged 43-78 yr, mean age 70 yr) with rheumatic disease and mild renal impairment were enrolled in this multicentre, open-label study, with 22 patients completing the 28 day treatment period. The median estimated creatinine clearance and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase/creatinine ratios (a marker of renal tubular damage) recorded at day 14, day 28 or 4-7 days after meloxicam treatment was terminated, were not statistically significantly different from baseline values. There was no evidence of accumulation of meloxicam. Overall, meloxicam was well tolerated. The most common adverse events were GI complaints of abdominal pain and dyspepsia. No adverse events related to the urinary system, or increases in serum urea or potassium were recorded. The results suggest that meloxicam, 15 mg once daily, does not further compromise renal function or result in accumulation of meloxicam over this treatment period in patients with pre-existing mild renal impairment.