STANDARDIZATION, FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF COX-2 INHIBITOR FORMULATION IN SEMISOLID DOSAGE FORM SUITABLE FOR USE IN MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS

Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors, have come to play an important role in the pharmacologic management of musculoskeletal disorders. Clinical trials have established the efficacy of COX-2 inhibitor like Etoricoxib in Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Acute Gouty Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Low back pain, acute postoperative pain, and primary dysmenorrheal. The present research has been undertaken with the aim to develop a novel semisolid dosage form of etoricoxib, which would attenuate the gastrointestinal relater toxicities associated with oral administration. Etoricoxib is a highly selective cyclooxygenase‐2 (cox‐2) inhibitor. In the present study, a fixed concentration of Etoricoxib cream (2%) was prepared by using a different combination of active ingredient and excipients. To access the efficacy of formulated cream, in-vitro evaluation including stability studies, tube extrude ability, spread ability, pH, viscosity and rheological properties and drug diffusion studies were carried out. After in vitro evaluation of cream formulations, the formulation was evaluated for the anti‐inflammatory and skin irritation studies. The results obtained were encouraging and formulation containing Etoricoxib (2%) exhibited the most satisfying results of all the parameters. Key Words: Anti-Inflammatory, Cream, Etoricoxib, Stability studies