Effectiveness of Etoricoxib and Naproxen in Treating Ankylosing Spondylitis
Author Information
Author(s): Paul M Peloso, Arnold Gammaitoni, Steven S Smugar, Hongwei Wang, Andrew R Moore
Primary Institution: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
Hypothesis
Can etoricoxib and naproxen provide significant analgesic response and improvement in patients with ankylosing spondylitis compared to placebo?
Conclusion
Etoricoxib is more effective than naproxen for achieving clinically meaningful improvements in spine pain and BASDAI in ankylosing spondylitis patients.
Supporting Evidence
- Etoricoxib showed lower NNTs compared to naproxen for both BASDAI and spine pain improvements.
- 70% of patients on etoricoxib achieved a ≥30% improvement in BASDAI at 6 weeks.
- NNTs for etoricoxib were consistently better than those for naproxen across various thresholds.
Takeaway
This study found that for every 2 patients treated with etoricoxib, 1 will feel much better, while for naproxen, it's about 1 in 3.
Methodology
Post-hoc analysis of a 6-week, randomized, double-blind study comparing etoricoxib, naproxen, and placebo.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the study being sponsored by Merck & Co., Inc.
Limitations
The analysis was post-hoc and descriptive, with no formal statistical testing performed.
Participant Demographics
Most participants were male with a mean age of 44 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.001
Statistical Significance
p < 0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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