Etodolac (Lodine®): Profile of an established selective COX-2 inhibitor

Etodolac was developed in a search for a novel NSAID with an improved efficacy/side effect profile and was launched in the UK in 1985 for the acute and chronic treatment of arthritic conditions. The improved safety profile of etodolac when compared with other NSAIDs posed an anomaly for which there was no explanation at that time. However, the advent of the COX-2 theory served as a possible rationale for etodolac's improved safety profile, since etodolac has consistently shown selective COX-2 inhibition and COX-1 sparing effects across a wide range of assays. Since first discovery, etodolac has demonstrated a proven track record in a large number of clinical trials in patients with OA and RA extending to 7 years duration and over 14 years of clinical use.