Recent clinical trials in the rheumatic diseases

Abstract

This paper reviews clinical trials that have been published during the course of the past year on the rheumatologic diseases. The greatest number of clinical trials were done in rheumatoid arthrits. These trials show promising results for combination therapy with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs,whereas results of studies with monoclonal antilymphocyte antibidies have been disappointing. The role of oral collgen remains to be defined. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with selective cyclooxygenas-2(Cox-2)inhibition may have a more favorable toxicity profile and are likely to find wide usee. As adjuvant therapy appaeard artritis, Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy appeard ineffective in the disease specific.The inclusion of the more standardized and disease specific outcome measures has enhanced the quality of clinical trials in rheumatology and their applicability to rheumatologic practice.