TY - JOUR TI - Celecoxib for the treatment of atherosclerosis AU - Papageorgiou, N. AU - Zacharia, E. AU - Briasoulis, A. AU - Charakida, M. AU - Tousoulis, D. JO - Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs PY - 2016 VL - 25 TODO - 5 SP - 619-633 PB - Taylor and Francis Ltd. SN - 1354-3784, 1744-7658 TODO - 10.1517/13543784.2016.1161756 TODO - acetylsalicylic acid; celecoxib; cyclooxygenase 2; cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor; diclofenac; etoricoxib; ibuprofen; meloxicam; naproxen; nonsteroid antiinflammatory agent; prostacyclin; rofecoxib; valdecoxib; celecoxib; cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor, area under the curve; Article; atherosclerosis; cardiovascular mortality; cardiovascular risk; cerebrovascular accident; coronary artery disease; coronary stenting; disease course; drug clearance; drug efficacy; drug excretion; drug half life; drug mechanism; drug safety; drug screening; gastrointestinal disease; heart atrium remodeling; heart failure; heart infarction; heart infarction size; heart protection; human; hypertension; IC50; inflammation; kidney disease; maximum plasma concentration; mesenchymal stem cell; monotherapy; oxidative stress; percutaneous coronary intervention; peripheral edema; pharmacodynamics; plasma concentration-time curve; restenosis; side effect; thromboembolism; thrombosis; volume of distribution; animal; atherosclerosis, Animals; Atherosclerosis; Celecoxib; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; Humans TODO - Introduction: It is widely accepted that inflammation plays a pivotal role in the progression of atherosclerosis. Anti-inflammatory drugs and especially selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors have attracted a keen interest.Areas Covered: In the present drug evaluation article, the authors elucidate the role of celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, in the treatment of atherosclerosis. They discuss the atherogenic properties of the COX-2 enzyme. In addition, they address the studies that support an atheroprotective role of celecoxib. Moreover, they provide a review of the literature on the role of COX-2 inhibitors in increasing the rate of major adverse cardiovascular events. Finally, they discuss the emerging evidence that supports celecoxib as an adjuvant or neo-adjuvant therapy to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Expert opinion: Several studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect of celecoxib on the progression of atherosclerosis. Nevertheless, this evidence is mainly derived from preliminary data, while a substantial number of clinical studies have raised concerns regarding the cardiovascular safety of COX-2 inhibitors. Interestingly, recent clinical studies have supported the advantages of short-term celecoxib administration in patients undergoing PCI. However, many more large scale clinical trials are required to assess the long-term safety and efficacy of celecoxib administration in patients with cardiovascular disease. © 2016 Informa UK Limited. ER -