Patients with sports injuries were treated with pirprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, in two separate studies. In the single centre study, 39 athletes were treated with 1000 mg/day pirprofen for 2 weeks. In the multicentre study, a further 80 athletes were treated with a variable dosage (600 − 1200 mg/day) until the disappearance of symptoms, but for no longer than 2 weeks. Efficacy was considered excellent or good in 99/119 (83%) of the patients treated. The clinical variables of pain and mobility significantly (P<0.05) improved after 1 week of treatment. Tolerability was satisfactory, the main side-effects involving the gastro-intestinal tract.
