This 10-week, double-blind, crossover study compared piroxicam (20 mg given once daily) and indomethacin (25 mg given three times daily) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In the 30 patients evaluated, both drugs produced statistically significant improvement after 4 weeks compared to placebo in all measured parameters with the exception of joint swelling and 10 m walking time. Piroxicam tended to provide greater improvement in the severity of pain and joint tenderness than indomethacin, while both drugs were equally effective in improving morning stiffness, grip strength, and range of joint motion, and in decreasing paracetamol consumption. Nevertheless, roughly two-thirds of the patients considered piroxicam to be the more effective agent. With both drugs side effects were mild and infrequent.