Incidence of gastroduodenal ulcers associated with valdecoxib compared with that of ibuprofen and diclofenac in patients with osteoarthritis.

Objective: To determine whether valdecoxib, at chronic arthritis doses, has the characteristics of a cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) specific inhibitor, as measured by a reduced incidence of upper-gastrointestinal ulceration compared with conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Methods: This double-blind, multicentre, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study compared the incidence of gastroduodenal ulcers associated with valdecoxib 10 mg daily (q.d.