Relieving arthritic pain

At 62, Ric de los Reyes lives with chronic pain from wrist arthritis. There are a lot of everyday things he just can’t do now. “I can’t open packages or jars or lift a heavy book. Some days I can barely turn the ignition in my car,” he says.

But despite the pain and inconvenience, he takes no medication to relieve his suffering.

His doctor tried him on some prescription anti-inflammatory drugs. “But I was always wary of using medicines,” he says. “And when the news came out showing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, I decided to stay away from drugs altogether.”

De los Reyes is in a common bind, one shared by many Filipinos. He suffers from severe chronic pain but fears the side effects of common painkillers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs.)

What should you do if you, like De los Reyes, suffer significant pain from arthritis?

Dr. Eric Amante, an expert in rheumatology from the University of the Philippines and the Asian Hospital, said even physicians are in a bind when it comes to prescribing NSAIDs.

“The problem is when you prescribe an NSAID and then your patient comes back to you telling you that the NSAID has been pulled out from the market,” he said.

Fortunately, he said, newer and safer NSAIDs are coming into the market.

Amante spoke in particular about Clanza, a kind of NSAID which the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) recently approved to be marketed in the Philippines.

Produced by Korean United Pharm and distributed by Filipino company One Pharma, Clanza is based on the drug aceclofenac, a pain reliever discovered in Spain in 1983 which has treated more than 70 million people since then.

Clanza was introduced in Korea in 1994 and has been the number one analgesic in Korea, enjoying sales of $43 million every year.

Amante said Clanza “appears to be a good option for 2008” as far as pain reliever for people suffering from rheumatism or arthritis.

“Pain is the most common reason why people see us doctors, and just to be able to be rid of pain is a major progress,” he says.

Dr. Julius Lecciones, a pediatric oncologist, conducted a three-year study on Clanza for BFAD. His study, which covers more than 3,000 patients, showed the efficacy and safety of the drug.

“It is as effective if not better than other NSAIDs in the market but with very low side effects,” he said.

Most NSAIDs available are known to cause gastric irritations, and some have been found to increase the risks of heart ailments.

But according to Lecciones, it was very notable that less than two percent of patients who took Clanza experienced very minor side effects.

Physicians from Manila, Davao and Cebu all welcomed Clanza as an effective and safe approach to chronic or long-lasting pain.

Amante, for one, said that for some people like De los Reyes, “pain is not just an inconvenience.” On the contrary, it is a reality in life that they must face every day.

“It can be devastating. It can destroy people’s lives and drugs like Clanza can be a very good treatment option,” he said.