Painkiller Drugs

Etoricoxib (brand name Arcoxia worldwide; also Algix and Tauxib in Italy) is a COX-2 selective inhibitor (approx. 106.0 times more selective for COX-2 inhibition over COX-1) from Merck & Co. Doses are 60, 90 mg/day for chronic pain and 120 mg/day for acute pain. Currently it is approved in more than 60 countries worldwide but not in the US, where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires additional safety and efficacy data for etoricoxib before it will issue approval.

Lumiracoxib (rINN) is a COX-2 selective inhibitor non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, manufactured by Novartis and still sold in few countries, including Mexico, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, under the trade name Prexige (sometimes misquoted as "Prestige" by the media).

Rofecoxib is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that has now been withdrawn over safety concerns. It was marketed by Merck & Co. to treat osteoarthritis, acute pain conditions, and dysmenorrhoea. Rofecoxib was approved as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 20, 1999, and was subsequently marketed under the brand names Vioxx, Ceoxx, and Ceeoxx.

Valdecoxib is a prescription drug used in the treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and painful menstruation and menstrual symptoms. It is classified as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID, and should not be taken by anyone allergic to these types of medications.