What is "lumiracoxib"

n. A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, an analogue of diclofenac.

Lumiracoxib ( rINN) is a carboxylic acid COX-2 selective inhibitor non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, manufactured by Novartis and still sold in few countries, including Mexico, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, under the trade name Prexige (sometimes misquoted as "Prestige" by the media).

Lumiracoxib has several distinctive features. Its structure is different from that of other COX-2 inhibitors, such as celecoxib: lumiracoxib is an analogue of diclofenac (one chlorine substituted by fluorine, the phenylacetic acid has another methyl group in meta position), making it a member of the arylalkanoic acid class of NSAIDs; it binds to a different site on the COX-2 enzyme than do other COX-2 inhibitors; it is the only acidic coxib and has the highest COX-2 selectivity of any NSAID.

Since its original approval, lumiracoxib has been withdrawn from the market in several countries, mostly due to its potential for causing liver failure (sometimes requiring liver transplantation). It has never been approved for use in the United States.