The authors present the pharmacological profile and an account of the clinical effectiveness of diacerein. It is a preparation which inhibits above all the production and activity of interleukin-1 (IL-1) as well as other cytokines and catabolic enzymes which participate in the degradation of cartilage in osteoarthritis (OA). The implemented clinical studies provide evidence of its effective- ness on pain and function in patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis. As to the character of its effect diacerein belongs to so-called SYSADOA, symptomatically slow acting drugs in OA. The onset of its effect is as compared with NSA retarded, the onset being after 2-4 weeks. Then its effectiveness is identical as that of NSA. While after discontinuation of NSA treatment the patients exacerbates as a rule, after termination of diacerein treatment the favourable effect persists for another 2-3 months. A recently completed study revealed that in addition to the purely symptomatic effect after long-term diacerein treatment the progression of OA is perhaps slower. Thus a drug potentially modifying the structure is involved. The assembled results will have to be confirmed in further investigations. Diacerein is a safe preparation, the main undesirable effect is diarrhoea which however occurs only at the onset of treatment and as a rule does not lead to discontinuation of therapy.

        Key words: osteoarthritis, diacerein, therapy, SYSADOA