Press Articles
Capital team in GBP 26m study of arthritis
December 18, 2007
EDINBURGH researchers will be taking part in a GBP 26 million study into how to treat arthritis.
The SCOT trial will compare different types of treatment available to the nine million people in the UK.
It is being led by Dundee University in partnership with others, including Edinburgh University.
The trial compares traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, with a newer NSAID called Celecoxib.
Both types of NSAID are prescribed for the treatment of arthritis, but doctors want to know how the newer NSAID Celecoxib compares with the older NSAID in terms of long-term safety.
Professor Stuart Ralston, from Edinburgh University, said: "NSAIDs play an important role in the treatment of arthritis but we know that side effects, such as stomach upset, can occur in some patients. This study will provide important new information on the risks and benefits of older versus newer NSAIDs and will help us to decide what the best treatment is for the individual patient."
Professor Tom MacDonald, lead investigator and Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Dundee, added: "This trial is of international significance because it will compare the various NSAID treatments prescribed for arthritis sufferers in usual care."
Source: Evening News (Edinburgh)