1.
[syn: rofecoxib, Vioxx]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
rofecoxib \rofecoxib\ (Chem. & Med.)
A chemical substance (C17H14O4S, molecular weight 314.36)
used in medicine as an analgesic to alleviate pain and
inflammation; it is a synthetic compound, and is marketed by
Merck & Co. under the trade name Vioxx, in tablets giving
dosages of 12.5 or 25 milligrams. It is classed as a
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Chemically, it
is 4-[4-(methylsulfony)phenyl]-3-phenyl-2(5H) furanone. Its
chemical structure contains two phenyl rings and a furanone
ring. It is believed to act by inhibition of prostaglandin
biosynthesis, through inhibition of the enzyme
cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2); unlike aspirin, it does not
inhibit cyclooxygenase-1.
[PJC]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
rofecoxib
n 1: a Cox-2 inhibitor (trade name Vioxx) that relieves pain and
inflammation without harming the digestive tract;
voluntarily withdrawn from the market in 2004 [syn:
rofecoxib, Vioxx]