Meloxicam 15 mg once daily (n = 128) was compared with piroxicam 20 mg (n = 127) in this 6 week, double-blind, parallel-group, randomized, multicentre study in out-patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip. Assessments of pain, global efficacy and global tolerance were made on a 10 cm horizontal visual analogue scale; severity of OA was evaluated by Lequesne's index. Efficacy results showed significant improvement compared with baseline, with no significant difference between meloxicam 15 mg and piroxicam 20 mg. The type and frequency of adverse events were comparable for the two drugs. The most frequent events reported were gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, occurring in 21 and 23% of meloxicam and piroxicam patients respectively. The global tolerance assessment by patients at the end of treatment favoured meloxicam. In conclusion, meloxicam at a dose of 15 mg/day is comparable in efficacy and safety to piroxicam 20 mg.