Demonstration of dose response of flurbiprofen lozenges with the sore throat pain model

Abstract

The dose response of flurbiprofen lozenges (2.5, 5.0, and 12.5 mg) was evaluated in the treatment of sore throat. A refined version of the sore throat pain model showed that 12.5 mg flurbiprofen was significantly more effective than placebo at providing total pain relief and reducing throat soreness (p <.05). Flurbiprofen, 5.0 mg, was more effective than placebo for the reduction of throat soreness and the sensation of throat swelling (P <.05). The 2.5-mg flurbiprofen lozenge was indistinguishable from placebo. For every milligram of increase in the dose of flurbiprofen, there was an approximately 0.3-unit increase in total pain relief (P <.05). Flurbiprofen lozenges in all 3 dosages were well tolerated. Flurbiprofen lozenges are effective for sore throat at a dose between 5.0 mg and 12.5 mg; the sore throat pain model is a sensitive assay for demonstration of the dose-response relationship of an analgesic agent.

The Effect of Flurbiprofen on Postoperative Sore Throat and Hoarseness After LMA-ProSeal Insertion: A Randomised, Clinical Trial

“…Flurbiprofen (Strefen®) is a propionic acid derivative NSAID with potent anti-inflammatory effects in addition to its antipyretic, analgesic and soothing topical effects (8,9). It has proved to be an efficient and safe medicine to treat conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders (8), and is also used for oral hygiene as a mouthwash and toothpaste (10).…”

The selective COX-2 inhibitor Etoricoxib reduces acute inflammatory markers in a model of neurogenic laryngitis but loses its efficacy with prolonged treatment

“…These drugs act primarily by blocking the synthesis of prostaglandins by cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes [13,21]. Their therapeutic effects are related to the inhibition of inflammation-induced COX-2, whereas their most common side effects are related to the inhibition of the constitutive COX-1 enzyme [21,24,25]. Interestingly, aerodigestive and cutaneous adverse events related to the use of NSAIDs are known to be one of the most common in medicine [21].…”

“…Contrarily to the classical NSAIDs that inhibit both isoforms of COX enzymes, the selective COX-2 inhibitors like Etoricoxib, mainly block the activity of the inducible COX-2 enzyme [13,14,21,24,25]. This may result in a better tolerability profile, with less associated side effects.…”

Influence of the Oral Dissolution Time on the Absorption Rate of Locally Administered Solid Formulations for Oromucosal Use: The Flurbiprofen Lozenges Paradigm

“…While sharing the indications for systemic use with other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - including the symptomatic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis as well as the management of acute gouty arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and other related pathologies [1] - flurbiprofen is preferentially used for the topical management of painful and/or inflammatory conditions of the oropharynx such as gingivitis, stomatitis, periodontitis, pharyngitis and laryngitis [2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. In these conditions, flurbiprofen formulations for the oromucosal route of administration (including lozenges, mouthwashes and oral sprays) have the advantage to enhance the local oromucosal concentration, allowing a local anti-inflammatory effect at lower dosages and a concomitantly reduced amount of absorbed drug, thus limiting the side effects related to systemic exposure [9,10].…”