Original versus generic piroxicams, their cost-effective evaluation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

This was a 12 week double-blind cross over study of 14 patients with rheumatoid arthritis on the cost-effectiveness of different priced piroxicams. All three drugs affected a significant improvement over baseline measurements in most of the clinical parameters assessed with statistical comparable efficacy. Pharmacokinetic analysis also showed similar properties except for the time to reach maximum concentration which was in favor of drug A. This property may be advantageous in treating acute conditions such as gouty attacks. However, in chronic disease like rheumatoid arthritis, there was no significant difference in pharmacologic and clinical efficacy among the three different piroxicams marketed in Thailand.