The efficacy and toleration of celecoxib (Celebrex) in the treatment of osteoarthritis in Nigeria: a multicentre study.

Background: Non-selective, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are effective in terms of pain relief and improving function in osteoarthritis. The advent of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) specific inhibitor, celecoxib, in the treatment of osteoarthritis has shown similar efficacy in relieving pain in osteoarthritis with low incidence of GI (Gastrointestinal) symptoms.
Objective: To determine the efficacy and toleration of celecoxib in treatment of osteoarthritis in Nigerian population.
Methods: Eighty patients were recruited from six tertiary health institutions scattered over Nigeria. A fixed dose of 200 mg celecoxib was administered daily with patient seen on the second and six weeks after commencement of study. Efficacy of the drug and safety were assessed during the study.
Results: The patients had a mean age of 57.8 years with a standard deviation of 13.3 year. The mean weight was 74.7 +/- 14.9kg while the female sex constituted the majority (73.8%) of the patients. Using the physician global assessment of osteoarthritis instrument, 36.3% of the patients were rated as having poor arthritis score at baseline. This value reduced to 2.6% at second visit and 0.00% at end of the study respectively. There was no significant difference between the vital signs, haematological indices, renal and hepatic function at baseline and the final visit. There was no case of serious adverse effect.
Conclusion: The study showed statistically significant improvements in the symptoms of osteoarthristis following the administration of Celecoxib 200mg daily for six weeks.