A Study to Compare Meloxicam IM Once Daily Versus Meloxicam Orally Once Daily in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female aged 18 years or above * The patient has rheumatoid arthritis, as defined by the American Rheumatism Association. * Assessment of overall pain (by the patient), after a washout for NSAID of at least 2 days (3 days for oxicams), must exceed 40 mm on a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS) * Symptoms of RA requiring administration of NSAIDs * Outpatients * Willingness and ability to provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Known or suspected hypersensitivity to the trial drugs or their excipients, analgesics, antipyretics or NSAIDs * Any clinical evidence of active peptic ulceration during the previous 6 months * Pregnancy or breastfeeding (precaution: attention should be drawn to reports that NSAIDs were reported to decrease the effectivity of intrauterine devices) * Asthma, nasal polyps, angioneurotic oedema or urticaria following the administration of aspirin or NSAIDs * Concomitant treatment with anti-coagulants (including heparin), lithium * Concomitant administration of other NSAIDs or analgesic agents (except paracetamol up to 4g/day) * Administration of any NSAID during the last 2 days (3 days for any oxicam) prior to the first administration of the trial drug * Concomitant treatment with methotrexate, sulfasalazine, D-penicillamine, chloroquine or any other disease modifying antirheumatic drug initiated or with an altered dose over the previous 3 months * Concomitant treatment with an oral corticosteroid initiated or with an altered dose over the previous month * Parenteral or intraarticular administration of corticosteroids in the previous month * Any i.m. injection during the previous 7 days * Synovectomy and/or surgical treatment for RA in the previous month or during the trial * Any physiotherapy which will be changed during the trial * Any contra-indication to i.m. injections * Clinical evidence of or known severe cardiac, hepatic, renal, metabolic, haematological disease, mental disturbance, ulcerative colitis * Any other rheumatological or non-rheumatological disease that could interfere with the evaluation of efficacy and safety * Serum creatinine 125 % of the upper limit of normal range ; aspartate amino-transferase (AST/SGOT) and/or alaline amino-transferase (ALT/SGPT) 200 % of the upper limit of normal range * Platelet count \< 100,000/mm3 ; leucocytes count \< 3,000/mm3 * Participation in another clinical trial during this study or during the previous month * Previous participation in this trial (i.e. having been allocated a randomized treatment number) * Patient unable to comply with the protocol