Clinical response to therapy with thymopoietin pentapeptide (TP-5) in rheumatoid arthritis.
The effect of thymopoietin pentapeptide (TP-5) was evaluated in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Ninety-two patients were divided into 3 groups, namely, placebo, TP-5 intramuscularly (IM) 1 mg, TP-5 intravenously (IV) 50 mg, and were evaluated for 6 measures of disease activity at the beginning of the study and at 3 and 6 months. No difference was observed between the placebo group and the group treated with TP-5 IM 1 mg. However, in the group treated with TP-5 IV 50 mg a statistically significant improvement of all parameters except the ESR was observed.