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Cox 2 Selective Inhibitor Information
Rofecoxib belongs to the group of NSAIDs known as COX-2
selective inhibitors or coxibs (CycloOXygenase-2 Inhibitors). Being COX-2
selective means that these drugs act specifically on one form of the
cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme, namely the COX-2, whereas previous NSAIDs inhibited
both COX-1 and COX-2. This specificity allows rofecoxib and other COX-2
inhibitors to reduce inflammation and pain while minimizing undesired
gastrointestinal adverse effects - peptic ulcers - that are common with
non-selective NSAIDs such as aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen.
Interestingly, at the time of its withdrawal, rofecoxib was the only coxib with
clinical evidence of its superior gastrointestinal adverse effect profile over
conventional NSAIDs. This was largely based on the VIGOR (Vioxx GI Outcomes
Research) study, which compared the efficacy and adverse effect profiles of
rofecoxib and naproxen. (Bombardier et al., 2000).
More on Vioxx (Rofecoxib):
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