British medical journal (Clinical research ed.)
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Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) · Oct 1983
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison between penicillamine and sulphasalazine in rheumatoid arthritis: Leeds-Birmingham trial.
Sulphasalazine was first formulated by Svartz in the early 1940s, specifically for use as a remission inducing drug in rheumatoid arthritis. After the publication of an unfavourable trial, however, the drug was restricted to patients with ulcerative colitis. In the late 1970s sulphasalazine was re-examined in rheumatoid arthritis and favourable results reported in "open" trials. ⋯ No potentially dangerous effects of sulphasalazine were encountered in contrast with those seen in the penicillamine group. The results suggest that sulphasalazine is an effective and safe drug capable of producing remissions in active rheumatoid arthritis. They also lend confidence to the use of preliminary "open" trials as a means of screening for remission inducing drugs in rheumatoid arthritis.
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Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) · Oct 1983
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialSulphasalazine in rheumatoid arthritis: a double blind comparison of sulphasalazine with placebo and sodium aurothiomalate.
Uncontrolled studies have suggested that sulphasalazine may be an effective second line agent in rheumatoid arthritis. Sulphasalazine was therefore compared with placebo and intramuscular sodium aurothiomalate in 90 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. ⋯ The major toxicity encountered in the group treated with sulphasalazine was nausea or vomiting, or both; this may be related to slow acetylator phenotype. Sulphasalazine appears to be an effective second line agent, and further pharmacokinetic studies might prove useful in diminishing gastrointestinal side effects.