COX-2 inhibitor

noun

ˈkäks-ˈtü- 

: any of a class of drugs used to treat the pain and inflammation of arthritis by selectively blocking the variant of cyclooxygenase causing these symptoms

Examples of COX-2 inhibitor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Celebrex is a selective COX-2 inhibitor that targets inflammation with fewer gastrointestinal side effects, whereas ibuprofen is a nonselective NSAID that inhibits COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. —T'keyah Bazin, Pharmd, Verywell Health, 11 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1994, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

COX-2 inhibitor

noun

variants also COX-2 blocker

: any of a class of drugs (as celecoxib) that are NSAIDs which selectively block the isoform COX-2 but not the isoform COX-1 of cyclooxygenase and are used chiefly to relieve the pain and inflammation of arthritis while minimizing gastrointestinal side effects

COX-2 inhibitors, as their name implies, were designed to block just the inflammatory functions of the COX-2 enzyme, leaving the stomach-protecting functions of the COX-1 form intact.

—Alice Park, Time