Safety of rofecoxib in subjects with a history of adverse cutaneous reactions to aspirin and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Background: Adverse reactions to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)s are frequent, and the need to identify a safe alternative drug is a common problem in clinical practice. Objective: To assess the tolerability ofrofecoxib, a drug that specifically inhibits COX-2, in a group of NSAID-sensitive patients. Methods: One-hundred and four subjects (29 males and 75 females, mean age 35.6 ± 14.1) were enrolled. All subjects had experienced one or more episode characterized by cutaneous symptoms (erythema, and/or urticaria angioedema) following the assumption of NSAIDs; 92 subjects experienced reactions to only one NSAID (single intolerance: SI) and 12 subjects had reactions to multiple …