A Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of an Investigational Drug (MK-686) in Patients With Osteoarthritis (0686-006)

A 4-Week, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of MK0686 in Patients With Osteoarthritis of the Knee or Hip

This study is being conducted to assess the safety and tolerability of MK-0686 and to evaluate its efficacy in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip or knee in men and women.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with a clinical and radiographic diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the hip or knee,either prior NSAID or Acetaminophen users within the ARA functional class I,II or III and with no clinically significant diseases
• Patients required to demonstrate a flare of the signs and symptoms of OA following withdrawal of NSAID treatment
• Prior acetaminophen users also required to demonstrate greater than a defined minimum level of signs and symptoms of OA
• females must be either post-menopausal or surgically sterilized

Exclusion Criteria:

• No history of concurrent arthritic disease
• No history of neoplastic disease within a specified duration
• No history of disease that causes malabsorption
• Chronic use of certain medications excluded