Licofelone is a dual

COX Cox may refer to: * Cox (surname), including people with the name Companies * Cox Enterprises, a media and communications company ** Cox Communications, cable provider ** Cox Media Group, a company that owns television and radio stations ** ...

LOX Liquid oxygen—abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries—is the liquid form of molecular oxygen. It was used as the oxidizer in the first liquid-fueled rocket invented in 1926 by Robert H. Goddard, an appli ...

inhibitor that was studied in clinical trials as a treatment for

osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of degenerative joint disease that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone which affects 1 in 7 adults in the United States. It is believed to be the fourth leading cause of disability in the w ...

and which was under

development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development hell, when a project is stuck in development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting *Development (music), the process thematic material is reshaped * Photograph ...

by Merckle GmbH with partners Alfa Wassermann and Lacer. Licofelone is both an analgesic and an anti-inflammatory. Inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) may reduce the gastrointestinal toxicity associated with other

nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are members of a therapeutic drug class which reduces pain, decreases inflammation, decreases fever, and prevents blood clots. Side effects depend on the specific drug, its dose and duration of ...

(NSAID), which only inhibit

cyclooxygenase Cyclooxygenase (COX), officially known as prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase (PTGS), is an enzyme (specifically, a family of isozymes, ) that is responsible for formation of prostanoids, including thromboxane and prostaglandins such as pr ...

(COX). Licofelone is the first drug to inhibit both. Phase III trials for

were conducted in the early 2000s, but results were mixed and the drug has never been submitted for regulatory approval.

References

{{Prostanoid signaling modulators Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Abandoned drugs