Press Articles

<< return to press index page

SCOT trial to compare Celebrex' safety with that of older NSAIDs

December 19, 2007

The National Health Service in Scotland is to conduct a new study of medicines used to treat arthritis pain. The L25.0 million ($50.1 million) SCOT program will compare the therapeutic efficacy of Pfizer's Celebrex (celecoxib) with traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, in terms of long-term safety.

The NHS statement explained that Scotland's sophisticated patient registration and tracking system made the country an ideal location for such trials. The three-year study, which will be conducted in a collaboration between the Universities of Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, will involve around 16,000 patients at 400 practices across the country.

Tom MacDonald, lead investigator and professor of clinical Pharmacology at the University of Dundee, said: "this trial is of international significance because it will compare the various NSAID treatments prescribed for arthritis sufferers in usual care." Prof MacDonald added that program would help resolve the long-running debate as to which drug provides the most effective pain relief with the fewest side effects.

Source: Pharma Marketletter