Protective effects of licofelone, a 5-lipoxygenase and cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, versus naproxen on cartilage loss in knee osteoarthritis: a first multicentre clinical trial using quantitative MRI

Abstract

Licofelone and naproxen were equally effective in reducing OA symptoms; however, licofelone significantly reduced cartilage volume loss over time, thus having a protective effect in patients with knee OA. This study proves the superiority of quantitative MRI over x-ray examinations in a multicentre clinical trial.

Reply

“…As acknowledged by Dr. Fernandez-Cuadros and many well-recognized experts in this field, radiographs provide poor accuracy and precision for measuring disease progression in the lateral compartment, findings that concur with the data presented in a previous study (1). Moreover, the yawn sign proposed by Dr. FernandezCuadros may be a putative explanation for lateral compartment "protection" over time when assessed with standing plain radiographs, but such an explanation does not hold for cartilage volume assessment for patients lying supine while using MRI.…”

Efficacy of Chondroitin Sulfate for Painful Knee Osteoarthritis: A One-Year, Randomized, Double-Blind, Multicenter Clinical Study in Japan

“…Only a few medications have been recognized by clinical trials as potentially influencing the course of OA beneficially. These include chondroitin sulfate (CS), [4][5][6][7] glucosamine, [8][9][10] diacerein, 11) doxycycline (an antibiotic belonging to the tetracycline family), 12) cyclooxygenase/5-lipoxygenase inhibitors, 13) and intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid (HA). These approaches, however, have frequently produced insufficient benefit and excess risk of adverse effects.…”

5-Lipoxygenase Metabolic Contributions to NSAID-Induced Organ Toxicity

“…In human clinical trials, although there was a lower incidence of hypertension with licofelone, there was no statistical difference between naproxen and licofelone in edema [118].…”