Combining Diacerein and Celecoxib for early symptomatic osteoarthritis treatment offers advantages over single therapy.

This prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted to assess the effectiveness and safety of combination therapy of Diacerein and Celecoxib for treating osteoarthritis.

A total of 71 participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group 1 received Diacerein and Celecoxib, Group 2 received Diacerein and a Placebo, and Group 3 received Celecoxib and a placebo. Alteration in the visual analog scale (VAS) score twelve weeks post-treatment was the key endpoint ascertained.

The group that received combination therapy showed a considerable drop in the VAS score, similar to the control groups receiving monotherapy. Even though there was no notable difference between the study groups, the combination therapy group illustrated a better reduction in the absolute value of the VAS score when compared to the monotherapy groups, as shown in Table 1:

Four weeks post-therapy, the Diacerein + Celecoxib group demonstrated a considerably greater betterment in the stiffness and physical function categories of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) in comparison with the monotherapy groups. Moreover, no severe adverse events were reported in individuals treated with Diacerein + Celecoxib. The majority of adverse events were of a mild nature and resolved on their own without requiring any specific treatment.

The combination therapy of Diacerein and Celecoxib is both safe and effective, comparable to individual monotherapies. The noticeable enhancement in both stiffness and physical function at an early stage, as observed with this combination therapy, implies that physicians should contemplate its use as an early treatment option for those experiencing symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee.