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JAMA. 1999;281:786.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The FDA has approved celecoxib (Celebrex, GD Searle, Skokie, Ill) for relief of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis and for relief of the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in adults. Celecoxib is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) whose mechanism of action is believed to be due to inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, primarily via inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). At therapeutic doses in humans, it does not appear to inhibit COX-1 (believed by many to be important in the gastrointestinal system).

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract endoscopic evaluations were performed in more than 4500 arthritis patients who were enrolled in several controlled, randomized, 12-24 week trials. Celecoxib was associated with a statistically significantly lower incidence of endoscopic ulcers over the study period in three studies that included naproxen, in one study that included ibuprofen, and in one of two studies that included diclofenac.

The correlation between findings of endoscopic studies and . . . [Full Text of this Article]