Efficacy and Safety of Meloxicam vs. Naproxen Sodium in Patients With Acute Non Bacterial Pharyngitis or Pharyngo-tonsillitis

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female aged 18 years or above * Ambulatory patients * Start of symptoms within the previous 24 hours * Patients suffering from acute non bacterial pharyngitis or pharyngo-tonsillitis diagnostic, under the following criteria: * spontaneous pharyngeal pain presence greater than 35 mm on a 100 mm visual analog scale (VAS) * Pharyngeal pain presence on swallowing greater than 35 mm on a 100 mm VAS * Pharyngeal and/or amygdaline hyperemia * Absence of purulent plaques * Negative test for β-haemolytic Streptococcus on pharyngeal exudate * Therapy with NSAID (Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory Drug) is required or recommended * Patient's informed consent in accordance with local law and ICH GCP (International Conference of Harmonization Good Clinical Practice) , before inclusion into the the trial Exclusion Criteria: * Suspicion of acute pharyngitis or pharyngo-tonsillitis from bacterial origin by clinical criteria; Several impairment of patients condition, indicated by one or more or the following symptoms: * Extremely rapid onset of clinical picture * Very high fever (\>38.5°C) * Severe pharyngeal pain * Cervical adenopathy * Intense headache * Purulent pharyngeal plaques, evidence of peritonsillar abscess or phlegmon * Known or suspected hypersensitivity to the trial drug or NSAIDs * Positive test for β-haemolytic Streptococcus on pharyngeal exudate * Therapy with antimicrobial agents prior to start of the trial * Chronic infections * Infectious mononucleosis * Active peptic ulcer within the past 6 months * Pregnancy or breast feeding precaution: attention should be drawn to reports that NSAIDs were reported to decrease the efficacy of intrauterine devices * Asthma, nasal polyps, angioneurotic edema or urticaria following the administration of aspirin or NSAIDs * Concomitant treatment with anti-coagulants (including heparin), lithium or methotrexate * Concomitant administration of other NSAIDs (including high-dose \> 1500 mg at day aspirin) or analgesic agents * Administration of any NSAID during the last three days or analgesics 6 hours prior to the first administration of the trial drug * Present treatment or treatment within the last two months with corticosteroids * Historically know of impaired renal function (serum urea \> 125 % of the upper limit of normal range; serum creatinine \> 150 % of the upper limit of normal range) * Historically know of severe liver injury (alanine amino transferase ALAT \> 2 x the upper normal range limit or aspartate amino transferase ASAT \> 2 x the upper normal range limit) * Historically know of hematological disorder (platelet count \< 100,000/mm3, leucocyte count \< 3,000/mm3) * Participation in another clinical trial during this study or during the previous month * Previous participation in this trial * Patient unable to comply with the protocol