EU stages safety check on NSAIDs
Study will compare old-style drugs with new Cox-2 inhibitors
A major EU research project is assessing the safety of common anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac.
The 'Standard Care versus Celecoxib Outcome Trial' (SCOT), is being carried out by researchers in the UK, Denmark and the Netherlands, with 6,000 patients and 685 general medical practices participating. They are assessing the side-effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), notably digestive and heart problems plus blood pressure changes.
In particular, the scientists will see whether these are worse in new Cox-2 inhibitor NSAIDs such as celecoxib (Celebrex), with two groups of patients – one taking old style NSAIDs and the others using the more recent drugs.
Co-ordinator Professor Chris Hawkey, of the University of Nottingham, told a European Commission report on the study: ‘This study is designed to answer an important scientific question, which has the potential to improve the care of the thousands of arthritis sufferers. It is the first large-scale safety study of its kind, and…will make a difference to future prescribing…’
His fellow researchers are still looking for new subject patients, who must be 60 years old or more and regularly take prescribed NSAID painkillers for arthritis. Participating organisations also include Julius Clinical Research, of the Netherlands; and the universities of Southern Denmark; Glasgow; Dundee; Birmingham; Aberdeen; and Edinburgh.