Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a herbal formulation for rheumatoid arthritis – A non-inferiority randomized controlled trial

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a diverse disease characterized by a variable, progressive course of articular and extra-articular symptoms that are linked with pain, disability, and mortality. The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is still being investigated, and there is no treatment for this debilitating, persistent, painful disease. Qurs-e-Mafasil, a herbal Unani preparation, is regarded as a potent treatment for Waja'al-Mafasil, a condition clinically similar to rheumatoid arthritis, but scientific evidence is scarce. This study aimed to assess the non-inferiority of Qurs-e-Mafasil compared to celecoxib in the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This randomized controlled trial was conducted on seventy patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis between the ages of 35 and 55 years. The participants were randomly allocated in a ratio of 3:2, with 42 participants in the test group and 28 participants in the control group. The test group was administered 2 tablets (each having 500 mg) of Qurs-e-Mafasil, while the control group was administered 1 capsule of Celecoxib 100 mg. Both medications were delivered for four weeks. The primary outcome measure was European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response criteria based on Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28) assessed before and after therapy, whereas the secondary outcome measure was the change in joint pain severity as determined by a 100 mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at baseline and each follow-up. The safety of the interventions was evaluated based on adverse event monitoring at each follow-up and laboratory tests including hemogram, Liver Function Tests (LFTs), Kidney Function Tests (KFTs), and a complete urine examination performed at baseline and after four weeks of treatment. The per-protocol analysis was done on 50 participants (30 in test group and 20 in control group) who completed the study duration. Thus, at the conclusion of the trial, participants in the test and control groups had either a moderate or no response based on EULAR response criteria. The odds ratio for no response versus moderate response was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.20–2.55) with p = 0.744. Moreover, the observed mean differences of VAS score at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and final follow-up were 0.33 (95% CI: −0.6.65 to 5.99, p = 0.916), 0.50 (95% CI: −5.63 to 6.63, p = 0.870), 2.42 (95% CI: −2.95 to 7.78, p = 0.370), and 3.00 (95% CI: −1.82 to 7.84, p = 0.219), respectively. The differences in primary and secondary outcomes between the two groups indicate that Qurs-e-Mafāsil, a herbal Unani formulation containing Zingiber officinale Roscoe rhizome, Colchicum luteum Baker root, Piper nigrum L. fruit, and Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal. Root, is comparable to celecoxib in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.