Drug Found Effective in Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis : Science File / An exploration of issues and trends affecting science, medicine and the environment.
<i> From Times staff and wire reports</i>
Adding the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine to a regimen of the anti-arthritic drug methotrexate can significantly reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. A team at the University of Ottawa gave 74 arthritics methotrexate alone and 74 a combination of the two drugs. More than 48% of those who received cyclosporine showed significant improvement--less joint pain, tenderness and swelling--compared to 16% of those who received only methotrexate.
In a second study in the same journal, British researchers reported that the steroid prednisolone “substantially reduced the rate” at which rheumatoid arthritis progressed.
