JAMA Intern Med

Investigational anti-inflammatory drug shows no benefit for knee osteoarthritis pain

March 6, 2026

A multicenter randomized trial of 262 adults with painful knee osteoarthritis (OA) and effusion‑synovitis found no meaningful improvement in knee pain with diacerein (50 mg twice daily) compared with placebo over 24 weeks (diacerein, −19.9 mm vs. placebo, −18.6 mm; mean difference, −1.3 mm on a 100‑mm scale). Diacerein led to more gastrointestinal adverse events, including diarrhea, raising additional concerns about tolerability.

Source:

Aitken D, et al. (2026, March 2). JAMA Intern Med. Diacerein for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41770553/