A four-week, randomized, double-blind trial of the efficacy and safety of SKI306X: a herbal anti-arthritic agent versus diclofenac in osteoarthritis of the knee.

The efficacy and safety of SKI306X, an herbal anti-arthritic agent, was compared with that of diclofenac sodium for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. In a randomized, double-blind, active comparator-controlled trial, a total of 249 patients were randomly assigned to receive either 200 mg of SKI306X three times daily or 100 mg of diclofenac sustained release (SR) once daily. Clinical efficacy variables (visual analog scale, Lesquesne index and global satisfaction score) and adverse events were monitored at baseline and 2nd and 4th weeks of treatment.