COX-2-specific inhibition: implications for clinical practice.

Although conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have long been a major therapeutic choice for the management of arthritic conditions, the potential adverse effects of these agents sometimes compromise their clinical utility. New modes of therapy have recently been introduced, and data on the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-specific inhibitors celecoxib and rofecoxib suggest that these agents will meet the need for safe and effective therapeutic alternatives to conventional NSAIDs.