Comparison of the effectiveness and tolerability of lidocaine patch 5% versus celecoxib for osteoarthritis-related knee pain: post hoc analysis of a 12 week, prospective, randomized, active-controlled, open-label, parallel-group trial in adults.

BACKGROUND

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitors and nonselective NSAIDs are commonly used to treat osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the lidocaine patch 5% with that of celecoxib 200 mg/d in the treatment of OA-related knee pain; however, the study was terminated prematurely by the sponsor because of tolerability concerns regarding the class of COX-2 selective inhibitors. A post hoc analysis of the available data is presented here.

METHODS

This multicenter, randomized, open-label, active-controlled, parallel-group study included patients >or=18 years of age with unilateral or bilateral moderate to severe OA of the knee. Patients were randomized to receive treatment with either the lidocaine patch 5% or celecoxib 200 mg/d. The primary efficacy end point was change from baseline to 12 weeks in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) OA Index pain subscale. Secondary end points included additional WOMAC subscales and Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) measures. Because this trial was prematurely terminated, a post hoc analysis was performed using a random pattern-mixture model of all observed cases of the intent-to-treat population.

RESULTS

A total of 143 patients were randomized to treatment (lidocaine patch 5%, 69 patients; mean [SD] age, 60.2 [11.4] years; 65.2% female; 66.7% white; weight, 94.1 [23.3] kg) or celecoxib 200 mg/d (74 patients; age, 58.2 [12.1] years; 63.5% female; 68.9% white; weight, 94.3 [22.5] kg). Baseline pain WOMAC OA subscale scores (lidocaine patch 5%, 12.087; celecoxib 200 mg/d, 12.514) and mean rates of change over time (baseline to week 2, -1.5916 vs -1.6513 per week; weeks 2-6, -0.0168 vs -0.119 per week; weeks 6-12, -0.1818 vs -0.1579 per week) were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Improvement in additional WOMAC subscales and in several BPI measures were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Treatment-related adverse events were reported in 8 patients in each treatment group (11.6% in the lidocaine patch 5% group and 10.8% in the celecoxib 200-mg/d group) and were considered mild or moderate in severity.

CONCLUSION

Statistically significant differences in effectiveness and tolerability were not found between these 2 treatments in these patients with OA knee pain.