BCM-95, a patented, high bioavailability curcumin, was found to be equal to the prescription rheumatoid arthritis drug, diclofenac sodium, according to a recent study. The clinical trial followed 45 subjects, randomized to three groups, for 8 weeks. Group one received diclofenac sodium, 50 mg, twice daily; group two received 500 mg BCM-95 high absorption curcumin twice daily; and group three received both diclofenac sodium and BCM-95 curcumin. In the BCM-95 curcumin groups, there were no dropouts due to adverse effects, but in the diclofenac sodium group, 14% withdrew due to adverse effects.
In the Disease Activity Score (DAS)28 assessment, which includes analysis of joint swelling and pain, BCM-95 curcumin had the highest impact for reducing disease symptoms, followed by BCM-95 curcumin with diclofenac sodium, with the diclofenac sodium-alone group third. However, though the numbers were higher in the BCM-95 group, none of the differences between the drug and curcumin group were statistically significant in terms of effectiveness. 
The BCM-95 group showed improvement over others in reducing C-reactive protein (CRP) a measure of chronic inflammation, and antistreptococcal antibodies (ASO) titers, which are associated with severity of RA activity.