Rofecoxib

Properties

Safety Information

Description

Rofecoxib ts a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) launched in Mexico, its first market, for the management of acute pain and the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) and primary dysmenorrhea. Rofecoxib can be obtained by several different ways; one example is by arylation of a 4-bromofuranone with a phenylboronic acid under Suzuki conditions. Rofecoxib is a highly selective inhibitor of COX-2, the inducible isoform of cyclooxygenase and therefore exhibits a potent antiinflammatory activity without concomitant gastric or renal toxicities linked to the non-specific COX-1/2 inhibitors. In several clinical studies in patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis, Rofecoxib was evaluated at 12.5-50 mg doses once daily: it demonstrated efficacy for all primary and secondary endpoints at doses considerably weaker than those for classical non-specific NSAIDs, with good tolerance and less adverse effects. Selective COX-2 inhibitors potentially have a large spectrum of activity including new indications such as Alzheimer's disease, colorectal cancer, irritable bowel disease or urinary incontinence.