Ibuprofen

Abstract

Ibuprofen was introduced in England in 1967 and in the United States in 1974 as an anti-inflammatory drug in humans. It has weak but definite anti-inflammatory properties similar to those of aspirin, milligram for milligram, but with considerably less adverse effect on the stomach. Ibuprofen is chemically related to fenoprofen and naproxen, but lack of effect for any one in this chemical class of propionic-acid derivatives does not necessarily mean lack of effect for any other in an individual patient. The drug has analgesic properties, probably related to its anti-inflammatory effect. It inhibits prostaglandin synthesis and has no effect on the adrenopituitary axis, making it a nonsteroidal agent. Ibuprofen has been shown to be effective in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and is probably effective in ankylosing spondylitis, gout, and Bartter's syndrome.