Properties

Safety Information

Description

As a second-generation, selective cyclooxygenase (COX-2) inhibitor, lumiracoxib is devoid of the gastrointestinal issues that plague other non-selective, nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that crossover to COX-1. As an inhibitor of the inducible COX-2 that is up-regulated in pathological processes of pain and inflammation, lumiracoxib blocks the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins, the mediators of the pathological effects. It’s mode of binding to COX-2 has been found to differ from the other selective COX-2 inhibitors; the carboxylic acid forms hydrogen bonds with Tyr-385 and Ser-530 in the catalytic site rather than seeking interactions within the larger hydrophobic side pocket. Since lumiracoxib is mainly metabolized by CYP2C9, a study evaluating the co-administration of lumiracoxib with fluconazole, a potent inhibitor of CYP2C9, was conducted, and it concluded that there was no need for lumiracoxib dose adjustment, since changes in the systemic exposure were not significant. No serious adverse effects were reported, but in the small number of cases where treatment was discontinued, Gastro intestinal (GI) and musculoskeletal complaints were common.