The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) firocoxib hit the market in 2007 and has since gained popularity due to its propensity to cause fewer side effects than its counterpart, phenylbutazone (commonly known as Bute, or PBZ). But how do the two compare at alleviating lameness in horses?

A research team from the University of Illinois recently set out to answer that question, and shared their findings at the 2014 International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology, held June 16-20 in Chester, U.K.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs target the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX), which is responsible for the body's inflammatory responses. There are two "subtypes" of COX: COX-2 is primarily associated with inflammation, while COX-1 is associated with normal day-to-day processes such as protecting the gastric mucosa (lining). While traditional NSAIDs, like PBZ, block both COX-1 and -2, some newer ones—like firocoxib—are designed to target the inflammation associated with COX-2 while sparing the COX-1 enzymes.

Jonathan H. Foreman, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, professor of veterinary clinical medicine at the school's College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and colleagues set out to test their hypothesis that intravenous (IV) firocoxib at label dose and PBZ had comparable efficacies and that both would be effective in alleviating lameness caused by foot pain