A Comparison Of Valdecoxib 20 Mg Twice Daily and 40 Mg Daily and Placebo In The Treatment Of Sore Throat

• Drug: valdecoxib
  
  valdecoxib 20 mg tablet by mouth twice daily (BID) for 2 doses over a 24-hour period
• Drug: valdecoxib
  
  valdecoxib 40 mg tablet by mouth once daily (QD) for 2 doses over a 24-hour period
• Drug: placebo
  
  placebo tablet by mouth for 2 doses over a 24-hour period

• Active Comparator: Arm 1
  
  Intervention: Drug: valdecoxib
• Active Comparator: Arm 2
  
  Intervention: Drug: valdecoxib
• Placebo Comparator: Arm 3
  
  Intervention: Drug: placebo

Inclusion Criteria:

• Included patients had moderate to severe pain, as measured by the Sore Throat Pain Intensity Scale (STPIS) on swallowing ?66 mm on a 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) and a minimum of 4 points on the 10-point Tonsillo-Pharyngitis Score (TPS) but who were not coughing or experiencing any evidence of mouth-breathing.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who used throat lozenges, throat spray, cough drops or menthol-containing products within 2 hours, short-acting analgesics/antipyretics (eg, ibuprofen) or any form of cold medication within 8 hours, antibiotics for acute disease within 24 hours of first dose of study medication, or presumed diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis, known allergy or hypersensitivity to NSAIDs, COX-2 specific inhibitors, sulfonamides, or acetaminophen were excluded.