COX-2 inhibitors. Are they nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with a better safety profile?

In the treatment of arthritis, NSAIDs are some of the most commonly used drugs, although the prescription of such drugs has been questioned due to their inherent risks for gastrointestinal compromise, platelet effects, and the potential for renal toxicity with long-term use. With the availability of celecoxib and rofecoxib, 2 cyclooxygenase (COX-2) inhibitors (or COX-1 sparing agents) as new forms of NSAIDs, these issues have become magnified not only in the context of risk-to-benefit ratios but also interms of pharmacoeconomics because they have been proven to be equally efficacious as the nonselective NSAIDs, with an improved safety profile particularly within the gastrointestinal tract, but at a significantly increased cost.