Possible mechanisms of gastroduodenal mucosal damage in volunteers treated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs--the usefulness of prodrugs.

A controlled double blind study on the incidence of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) gastropathy was performed in 29 healthy volunteers administered diclofenac Na (10 subjects) or a prodrug (loxoprofen Na in 10 subjects and proglumetacin maleate in 9 subjects). The incidence of NSAID gastropathy was significantly lower in the subjects administered the prodrugs than in those administered diclofenac Na (p less than 0.05), which suggested the clinical usefulness of the prodrugs.