[Efficacy and safety of treatment with methotrexate, leflunomide, detralex, and their combination of patients with rheumatoid arthritis]

Abstract

A comparative evaluation was done of efficacy and safety of methotrexate, leflunomide singly and of combination of methotrexate with leflunomide or detralex. A total of 189 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were examined. A 6-month course of controllable treatment was instituted in them. The time-related course of clinical-and-laboratory indices allowed judgement about efficiency of the treatments administered. The functional condition of the patients was assessed according to HAQ. As to efficacy and toxicity, leflunomide (in a dose of 20 mg/daily) was comparable to methotrexate (7.5 to 10 mg/per week) whereas the combination leflunomide-methotrexate has been shown to considerably accelerate regression of clinical symptoms of RA while the use of detralex in the therapeutic complex proved to enhance efficiency of pharmacotherapy with methotrexate and to reduce the incidence rate of its side effects.