Scotland endorses new arthritis drug

摘要

The Scottish Medicines Consortium has given the green light to valdecoxib (Bextra) to be used for osteoarthritis and rhenumatoid arthritis within the National Health Service in Scotland. The SMC says valdecoxib should be considered for patients at high risk of gastrointestinal adverse effects, although it adds that there is no evidence of any advantages or disadvantages compared with other selective cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors.