Drug offers arthritis relief

Press, 16 July 1983, Page 8

Drug offers arthritis relief

New Zealand arthritics are trying a new slowrelease’drug system to try to control their pain better. A rheumatologist at Christchurch Hospital, Dr Barrie Tait, said the new drug capsules containing ketoprophen, a common anti-inflammatory drug, released the medication steadily into the body. It was the only drug using the delivery system in New Zealand. Tiny pellets in each capsule had a dialysing pH-sensitive membrane which released the drug at

different acidity levels and different times as it moved down the gut. “One of the problems with taking tablets is that you get peaks and low levels of the drug,” Dr Tait said.

Peaks could cause stomach upsets. This was a particular problem with drugs effective in the treatment of arthritis.

“When you are hitting the lows you are not getting enough to control your pain,” he said. The new system was meant to give round-the-

clock pain control from a single daily dose. Its developer, Professor Arnold Beckett, professor of pharmacy at London University, visited New Zealand recently to talk to doctors ■about the system. Many of them are now prescribing the drug capsules, which appeared on the market 4 about three months ago.

A spokeswoman for its New Zealand distributor said the ketoprophen capsules were the only such product commercially available in the world.

The pellet membrane never ruptured but continued to release the drug through pores. Other de-layed-release medication relied on a different thickness of sugar coating which broke down completely after a few hours. Dr Tait said other types of delayed-release systems which used osmosis were being developed. None were yet available in New Zealand but one type of capsule had a tiny laser-drilled hole which allowed the drug to filter out.