The results of a recently completed study indicate that oral administration of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) firocoxib could benefit horses suffering from osteoarthritis-related pain or lameness.

In 2007 firocoxib, (marketed as Equioxx) was introduced as an alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs commonly used to treat osteoarthritis-associated pain in horses. Unlike its predecessors, which targeted both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, manufacturers designed firocoxib to specifically target and suppress the COX-2 enzyme, which produces chemicals responsible for pain and inflammation, while sparing the COX-1 enzyme that maintains normal gastric mucosal protection and kidney function.

To produce data regarding the safety, effects, and palatability of oral firocoxib paste for horses, a team of researchers led by James Orsini, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, associate professor of surgery at University of Pennsylvania’s Veterinary Medical School, recently evaluated firocoxib use in a multibreed population of horses across 25 states.

The team employed 390 client-owned horses older than one year treated by an American Association of Equine Practitioners member veterinarian for osteoarthritis-associated lameness or joint pain. The team assigned each horse a lameness grade between 2 and 4 (on a 0 to 5 scale, with 5 being most severe)