Nimesulide is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drug (
NSAID) administered orally or rectally twice daily for a variety of inflammatory and
pain states. In mostly short term studies (up to 4 weeks), it was effective in reducing
pain associated with
osteoarthritis,
cancer,
thrombophlebitis,
oral surgery and dysmenorrhoea in adults, reducing
pain associated with general surgery in adults and children, and
pain,
fever and
inflammation accompanying
respiratory tract infections,
otorhinolaryngological diseases and traumatic injury in adults and children.
Nimesulide appeared to be at least as effective as other
NSAIDs in all of these indications.
Nimesulide has been well tolerated by adult, elderly and paediatric patients in clinical trials and large postmarketing surveillance studies. In general qualitative terms
nimesulide exhibits the usual adverse events associated with
NSAIDs (gastrointestinal, dermatological and neurological). However, it has a pharmacodynamic profile suggestive of a possibly reduced propensity to cause adverse gastrointestinal effects, although this has not been conclusively demonstrated in comparative clinical trials, many of which showed a similar incidence of such effects for
nimesulide and the comparator agent. Additionally,
nimesulide has been well tolerated by most
aspirin (
acetylsalicylic acid)- and/or
NSAID-intolerant patients and in patients with
asthma. Thus, available evidence indicates that
nimesulide is an effective and well tolerated alternative to other
NSAIDs in the short term treatment of
pain and
inflammation of
osteoarthritis and various other causes.