Arthritis Drug OKd; Lowered Ulcer Risk

A two-layered drug designed to relieve arthritis symptoms with reduced risk of digestive ulcers was approved for marketing by the Food and Drug Administration. The drug is manufactured by Searle, a Skokie, Ill., pharmaceutical company, and will be sold under the brand name Arthrotec. It is approved for treatment of both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. It is the first non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID, approved by the FDA for arthritis patients who are at high risk of developing ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract, a major problem for older patients who take NSAIDs to relieve arthritis pain.