Vet Ther 2002 Winter;3(4):453-64                                                                                         

Effect of Deracoxib, a New COX-2 Inhibitor, on the Prevention of Lameness Induced by Chemical Synovitis in Dogs.

Millis DL, Weigel JP, Moyers T, Buonomo FC.

Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.

Twenty-four healthy, mixed-breed hound-type dogs were evenly and randomly assigned to a placebo control group, one of four dosages of deracoxib (0.3, 1, 3, or 10 mg/kg), or carprofen (2.2 mg/kg). Oral dosing of placebo, carprofen, or deracoxib was done 30 minutes before intraarticular injection of urate crystal suspension for induction of synovitis. Ground reaction forces, subjective clinical lameness scores, pain, joint effusion, and quantitative pain threshold responses were measured in a blinded fashion before induction of synovitis and 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours after injection. The medium and high dosages of deracoxib were effective in preventing lameness and pain associated with synovitis. Carprofen was also somewhat effective in attenuating the severity of urate-induced synovitis but to a lesser degree than the medium dose of deracoxib. Preemptive deracoxib treatment at dosages as low as 1 mg/kg reduced lameness and pain of synovitis associated with intraarticular administration of urate crystals.

PMID: 12584683 [PubMed - in process]

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Veterinary Surgery, September-October 2001 • Volume 30 • Number 5, Short Communications

A multi-center clinical study of the effect of deracoxib a COX-2 selective drug on chronic pain in dogs with osteoarthritis

SA Johnston, ^* MG Conzemius, ^* AR Cross, ^* SA Martinez, ^* WC Renberg, ^* DL Millis, ^* LG Luempert RF Claxton Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA

 
Deracoxib is an unapproved COX-2 selective drug investigated for the treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs. This randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind study tested the hypothesis that vertical ground reaction forces and subjective clinical scores (veterinarian and client) of dogs treated with deracoxib orally for six weeks are significantly different than forces and scores of placebo dogs. Dogs of either gender (pregnant females excluded) and of any age presenting with clinical signs of osteoarthritis attributable to the most severely affected joint were screened for enrollment. Specific concomitant drug exclusion criteria were applied to enrolled dogs. Dogs were evaluated on Days –7, 0, 14, 28 and 42 by client history, physical examination, clinical scoring of lameness and pain and vertical ground reaction forces. Blood clinical pathology values were evaluated prior to and on the final day of dosing. Data for quantitative variables measured multiple times were statistically evaluated by a repeated-measures analysis of covariance with hypothesis testing at an alpha level of 0.05. The proportion of deracoxib dogs showing improvement in vertical impulse area and peak vertical force was significantly increased versus placebo. No significant differences were observed between the two treatment groups for the veterinarian scored variables. Clients' assessment of ‘Quality of Life’, ‘Lameness’, and ‘Activity’ were all significant in favor of the deracoxib group. Adverse events were clinically similar and generally non-remarkable between deracoxib and placebo dogs. There were no clinical pathology abnormalities attributable to deracoxib or placebo. Results support the hypothesis that vertical ground reaction forces and owners' subjective clinical scores of deracoxib treated dogs were significantly improved over placebo. In this study, deracoxib was effective in relieving the painful signs of osteoarthritis and was well-tolerated by dogs over a six week dosing period.

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Veterinary and Comparative Othopaedics and Traumatology, Vol 15 No. 2, 2002

A Multi-center Clinical Study of the Effect of Deracoxib a Cox-2 Selective Drug on Chronic Pain in Dogs with Osteoarthritis

Johnston, SA

Abstracts of the 29^th Annual Conference of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society, Canyon Ski Resort, 2002