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Merck and Co.’s new pain reliever Arcoxia (etoricoxib) appears to be easier on the stomach than the commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac sodium.
Fewer participants taking Arcoxia suffered gastrointestinal side effects than those taking diclofenac sodium, according to a study presented October 18 at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in San Antonio.
Meanwhile, the rates of confirmed thrombotic cardiovascular events were similar for Arcoxia and diclofenac sodium.
If approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Arcoxia, a COX-2 inhibitor for arthritis and pain, is viewed as Merck’s successor to Vioxx, which was taken off the market last month due to concerns that it may significantly increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
The study involved patients 50 years or older with osteoarthritis who required chronic treatment. The primary endpoint of the study was gastrointestinal tolerability. There were 9.4 gastrointestinal events per 100 patients per year for patients taking Arcoxia versus 19.2 gastrointestinal events for patients taking diclofenac sodium, for a risk reduction of 50 percent. Arcoxia and diclofenac had similar rates of serious cardiovascular thrombotic events.
Source:
Medical Week Staff, week
of October 23, 2004
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