Rofecoxib
belongs to the group of NSAIDs known as COX-2
selective inhibitors or coxibs (CycloOXygenase-2
Inhibitors). Being COX-2 selective means that these
drugs act specifically on one form of the
cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme, namely the COX-2,
whereas previous NSAIDs inhibited both COX-1 and
COX-2. This specificity allows rofecoxib and other
COX-2 inhibitors to reduce inflammation and pain
while minimizing undesired gastrointestinal adverse
effects - peptic ulcers - that are common with
non-selective NSAIDs such as aspirin, naproxen, and
ibuprofen.
Interestingly, at the time of its withdrawal,
rofecoxib was the only coxib with clinical evidence
of its superior gastrointestinal adverse effect
profile over conventional NSAIDs. This was largely
based on the VIGOR (Vioxx GI Outcomes Research)
study, which compared the efficacy and adverse
effect profiles of rofecoxib and naproxen.
(Bombardier et al., 2000).
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