Valdecoxib effective against postoperative pain

Valdecoxib ['Bextra'], a second-generation cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor, is effective in controlling pain following knee replacement surgery, according to a study presented at the 69th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) [Dallas, US; February 2002].1 In this study, treatment with valdecoxib significantly reduced morphine use, compared with placebo, and was well tolerated, with a high level of patient satisfaction reported. In a separate study published in the American Journal of Therapeutics, valdecoxib demonstrated superiority over rofecoxib ['Vioxx'] in the treatment of postoperative dental pain.2