COX SELECTIVE ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS AND ITS DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Cyclooxygenases (COXs) catalyze the complex reaction of conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins and thromboxanes, which play important role as chemical messengers in many physiological and pathophysiological responses. It exists in two distinct isoform first one is constitutive form (COX-1) and another is inducible form (COX-2). COX-1 andCOX-2 share the same substrates, and catalyze the similar kind of reactions using identical catalytic mechanisms.In this review, inflammation and role of COX-1, and COX-2 first described in order to highlight the therapeutic interest of designing such compounds. Various types of structural families of selective COX-2, equally binding tendency to both COX-1 & COX-2 active site and dual inhibitors are illustrated.