title: Selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors: after the smoke has cleared.
abstract: An enormous amount of fanfare and marketing preceded the introduction of selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-2 to the marketplace. These drugs were purported to offer equivalent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects to conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs without causing gastrointestinal injury. Now that there is considerable clinical experience with four drugs of this class having been available for at least two years, it is worthwhile re-visiting some of the original claims to determine whether selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors have thus far lived up to their promise. In short, selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors have proven to be somewhat safer in terms of gastrointestinal toxicity, than some (but not all) conventional non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs. However their efficacy of the selective cyclooxygenase inhibitors has not always matched that of the conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and there are significant safety concerns with some of the new drugs that deserve very careful consideration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. wallacej@ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wallace
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004064:Digestive System / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D007783:Lactones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009288:Naproxen / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D013450:Sulfones
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D007783:Lactones; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D013450:Sulfones; C116926:rofecoxib; D009288:Naproxen; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases