Double-blind multicentre study of the activity of S-adenosylmethionine in hip and knee osteoarthritis

Glorioso S, Todesco S, Mazzi A, Marcolongo R, Giordano M, Colombo B, Cherie-Ligniere G, Mattara L, Leardini G, Passeri M · International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Research

SAMe showed slightly more marked activity than ibuprofen across the painful manifestations of the disease. Minor side-effects appeared in five patients on SAMe and 16 on ibuprofen; nobody dropped out of either arm and routine laboratory tests did not change.

Population

150 patients with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis

Intervention

S-adenosylmethionine 400 mg three times daily for 30 days

Comparator

Ibuprofen 400 mg three times daily

Limitations

No placebo arm, 30 days, and the effect size is described qualitatively rather than reported. An active-comparator trial can show two treatments are similar without either being distinguishable from no treatment. Full text was not retrievable.