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news.Merck & Co. has said the results from an upper gastrointestinal safety analysis of its COX-2 inhibitor Arcoxia, for arthritis, showed it has fewer side effects than the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac.
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The program assessed the results of three clinical trials showing that overall upper gastrointestinal (GI) events such as bleeding, perforation, obstruction or ulcer were significantly less common with Arcoxia compared to diclofenac.
These results were maintained in patients taking proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for GI protection and in patients taking low dose aspirin regularly for cardiovascular protection.
Although NSAIDs are effective they can cause ulcers and stomach bleeding.
“The significant difference in overall upper GI clinical events demonstrated between etoricoxib and diclofenac was driven by uncomplicated symptomatic ulcers, which, although not life-threatening, have clinical impact because they require further medical follow-up and therapy,” said Loren Laine, professor of Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Southern California.