In a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 262 adults with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis and magnetic resonance imaging–confirmed effusion-synovitis, oral diacerein (50 mg twice daily) did not improve knee pain over 24 weeks compared with placebo. Gastrointestinal adverse events were more common with diacerein—particularly diarrhea (38.6% vs 22.3% with placebo)—and the findings do not support its use for pain reduction in patients with inflammatory knee osteoarthritis.

Source: JAMA Internal Medicine