NEW YORK, June 27 (
Rofecoxib and osteoarthritis
NEW YORK, June 27 (Praxis Press) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit both cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) but it is unclear whether specific COX-2 inhibitors are as effective as NSAIDs in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). Day and colleagues compared the efficacy and safety of the rofecoxib, which specifically inhibits COX-2, with that of the NSAID ibuprofen in 809 adult patients with OA (see paper. They found that rofecoxib was as effective as ibuprofe
