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Metacortandralone and metacortandracin, two new synthetic steroids, were subjected to clinical trial by the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases. The biological experiments in animals conducted by the investigators who prepared these steroids indicated that the compounds possess three to four times the activity of cortisone or hydrocortisone. The chemical, toxicologic, and biological studies performed prior to our studies in man will be reported by them elsewhere. The antirheumatic, anti-inflammatory, metabolic, and endocrinologic effects of metacortandralone were studied in seven patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The patients were selected by the following criteria: (1) arthritis of more than two years' duration, (2) unequivocal activity of the disease process, ( 3 ) joint changes that were partially or completely reversible, and (4) therapy previously administered that was of conventional type and produced unsatisfactory results. COMPOSITION OF SERIES Three patients had taken adequate doses of salicylates but had not received steroid therapy before admission
Joseph J. Bunim (Sat,) studied this question.