Preclinical pharmacology of lumiracoxib: a novel selective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase‐2

Abstract

1 This manuscript presents the preclinical profile of lumiracoxib, a novel cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitor. 2 Lumiracoxib inhibited purified COX-1 and COX-2 with K i values of 3 and 0.06 mM, respectively. In cellular assays, lumiracoxib had an IC 50 of 0.14 mM in COX-2-expressing dermal fibroblasts, but caused no inhibition of COX-1 at concentrations up to 30 mM (HEK 293 cells transfected with human COX-1). 3 In a human whole blood assay, IC 50 values for lumiracoxib were 0.13 mM for COX-2 and 67 mM for COX-1 (COX-1/COX-2 selectivity ratio 515). 4 Lumiracoxib was rapidly absorbed following oral administration in rats with peak plasma levels being reached between 0.5 and 1 h. 5 Ex vivo, lumiracoxib inhibited COX-1-derived thromboxane B 2 (TxB 2 ) generation with an ID 50 of 33 mg kg À1, whereas COX-2-derived production of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) in the lipopolysaccharidestimulated rat air pouch was inhibited with an ID 50 value of 0.24 mg kg À1 . 6 Efficacy of lumiracoxib in rat models of hyperalgesia, oedema, pyresis and arthritis was dosedependent and similar to diclofenac. However, consistent with its low COX-1 inhibitory activity, lumiracoxib at a dose of 100 mg kg À1 orally caused no ulcers and was significantly less ulcerogenic than diclofenac (Po0.05). 7 Lumiracoxib is a highly selective COX-2 inhibitor with anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities comparable with diclofenac, the reference NSAID, but with much improved gastrointestinal safety. British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 144, 538-550. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706078 Published online 17 January 2005 Keywords: Lumiracoxib; COX-2; cyclooxygenase-2 selective inhibitor; preclinical Abbreviations: AUC, area-under-curve of the concentration vs time curve; C max , maximum drug plasma concentration; CFA, complete Freund's adjuvant; 51 Cr-EDTA, chromium-51 labelled EDTA; COX, cyclooxygenase; D 30 , dose at which 30% inhibition was achieved; DMSO, dimethyl sulphoxide; F 0 , fraction of uninhibited enzyme at equilibrium; GI, gastrointestinal; HEK, human embryonic kidney; IL-1, interleukin-1; K i , inhibitor constant; k on , second-order rate constant representing speed at which an inhibitor binds to an enzyme; I, inhibitor concentration; LC/MS/MS, liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; NSAID, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; O 2 , oxygen; PGE 2 , prostaglandin E 2 ; s, arachidonic acid concentration; t 1/2 , half-life; t opt , time to optimal velocity; TxB 2 , thromboxane B 2 ; V 0 , velocity in the absence of inhibitor; V obs , observed velocity in the presence of inhibitor; V opt , highest observed O 2 consumption velocity; V max , Michaelis-Menten constant for the maximal calculated velocity

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