Should clinicians reconsider standard therapy for gout?

Gout occurs when urate crystals accumulate in the joints, and xanthine oxidase inhibitors such as febuxostat are a mainstay of therapy to help reduce blood urate levels in affected patients. A recent clinical trial published in Arthritis & Rheumatology has found that low doses of a less commonly used drug called benzbromarone may be a better option, however.

In the prospective single-center, open-labeled trial, 196 men with gout and low urinary excretion of uric acid were randomized to receive low-dose benzbromarone (LDBen) or low-dose febuxostat (LDFeb) for 12 weeks.

More participants in the LDBen group achieved the blood urate target of < 6 mg/dL than those in the LDFeb group (61% versus 32%). Side effects typically did not differ between the groups.

“The results suggest that low dosing of benzbromarone may warrant stronger consideration as a safe and effective therapy to achieve serum urate target in gout,” the authors wrote.

URL Upon Publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/art.42266

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About the Journal

Arthritis & Rheumatology, an official journal of the American College of Rheumatology, is a peer-reviewed publication for scientists and clinicians interested in the natural history, pathophysiology, treatment, and outcome of the rheumatic diseases. The journal publishes the highest quality basic and clinical research related to the rheumatic diseases, encompassing a wide range of areas of investigative activity. 

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