Effects of licofelone, a novel 5-LOX inhibitor, in comparison to celecoxib on gastric mucosa of dogs

Despite the extensive application of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the use of these drugs is limited due to their adverse effects especially on gastric mucosa. Dual inhibitors that inhibit both cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) metabolites are considered to have less gastric toxicity in comparison to non-selective and COX-2 selective inhibitors. In this study, fifteen mixed breed dogs were randomly divided into three groups: group 1 (n=5) received placebo, group 2 (n=5) licofelone, an inhibitor of COX- 1, COX-2, and 5-LOX (2.5 mg/kg; twice daily) and group 3 (n=5) celecoxib, a COX-2 selective inhibitor (3 mg/kg; twice daily) per os for 14 days. All dogs underwent blinded gastroscopies on days 0, 7, 14 and one week after cessation of treatment and gastric lesions were scored. Examinations to detect fecal occult blood were performed daily. Results showed that licofelone is significantly better tolerated than celecoxib in terms of gastric side effects (P=0.008). Therefore, it seems that licofelone can be an appropriate alternative in dogs when NSAID therapy is necessary. Occult blood was not detected in any dog during the study.