Polmacoxib (trade name Acelex) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat

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 ...

. It was developed as CG100649 and approved for use in South Korea in February 2015. It inhibits the enzymes carbonic anhydrase and

COX-2 Prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (prostaglandin G/H synthase and cyclooxygenase) (The HUGO official symbol is PTGS2; HGNC ID, HGNC:9605), also known as cyclooxygenase-2 or COX-2, is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''PTGS2'' gene ...

. A study in healthy volunteers showed drug effects on urinary prostaglandin metabolites for both polmacoxib and

celecoxib Celecoxib, sold under the brand name Celebrex among others, is a COX-2 inhibitor and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It is used to treat the pain and inflammation in osteoarthritis, acute pain in adults, rheumatoid arthritis, ankyl ...

that suggest a similar cardiovascular risk profile. Further work by this group developed dose-exposure relationships of polmacoxib to guide clinical development strategies.

References

Analgesics Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs COX-2 inhibitors Sulfonamides Experimental cancer drugs {{musculoskeletal-drug-stub