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NSAIDs in Reducing Ankylosing Spondylitis Pain

Does efficacy differ?

Publish date:: August 17, 2015

Etoricoxib was more effective in reducing pain in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) than some other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but there was insufficient evidence to conclude that any particular NSAID was more effective, according to a study comparing the efficacy of 20 NSAIDs in 3,410 patients with AS. Researchers found:

• All 20 NSAIDs reduced pain more than placebo, with 15 significantly better than placebo.

• Etoricoxib was superior to celecoxib, ketoprofen, and tenoxicam in pain reduction, but no other interdrug comparisons were significant.

• There were no significant differences among NSAIDs in decreasing the duration of morning stiffness or in the likelihood of adverse events.

• In 16 trials that used NSAIDs at full doses, etoricoxib was superior to all but 2 other NSAIDs in reducing pain.

Citation: Wang R, Dasgupta A, Ward MM. Comparative efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in ankylosing spondylitis: a Bayesian network meta-analysis of clinical trials. [Published online ahead of print August 6, 2015]. Ann Rheum Dis. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-207677.

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