Lumiracoxib (Prexige): a new selective COX-2 inhibitor.

Lumiracoxib, a new selective COX-2 inhibitor, has been recently approved in England and Mexico for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. Although it is the fifth COX-2 inhibitor to come to the market, it has a unique structure that could prove to be important in the adverse event profile. Double blind randomised trials have proved its efficacy in acute pain, dysmenorrhea, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Its gastrointestinal safety profile has been studied in multiple trials. The main clinical trail, therapeutic arthritis research and gastrointestinal event trial, has as primary end point: perforations, obstructions and bleeding and as secondary end points: cardiovascular, renal and hepatic safety profile. The results of this trial will probably change the way we look at selective COX-2 inhibitors.