Keywords: 
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs /
• nimesulide /
• ibuprofen /
• rheumatoid arthritis /
• osteoarthritis

Abstract: OBJECTIVE To test the efficacy and safety of nimesulide in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) of knee. METHODS: 59 RA patients and 44 OA patients as defined by the American College of Rheumatology criteria were treated with oral nimesulide tablet 100 mg twice daily or ibuprofen 300 mg sustained release capsule twice daily for four weeks. RESULTS In patients with RA, VAS value, pain, Ritchie joint index, grip strength of hands, and morning stiffness improved significantly after treatment. In patients with OA of knee, overall pain, pain on movement, walking time, global efficacy and quality of life scores showed good levels of improvement compared with baseline. In 83.3% of RA patients and 75.0% of OA patients, nimesulide was effective. The frequent events reported were gastrointestinal disorders, occurring in 9.6% of nimesulide patients. The total incidence of adverse reactions was 19.2% in nimesulide patients. There were no significant differences in efficacy and safety between the treatment groups. CONCLUSION The efficacy and safety of nimesulide are equivalent to those of ibuprofen.