Pain relief model for a COX-2 inhibitor in patients with postoperative dental pain.

AIM To develop a pain relief model for a cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor, CS-706, that permits prediction of doses for acute pain relief in Japanese and Western populations. METHODS A categorical response model was developed to describe the probability of pain relief (PR) over time for a Phase 2a study. Models were also developed to describe patient's use of rescue medication and onset of pain relief. RESULTS The placebo response was described by a first-order increase in PR that achieved a stable response after 4 h. The effect of CS-706 on PR was described using an E(max) model; the plasma concentration of CS-706 producing 50% of the maximum response was estimated to be 87 ng ml(-1), the median peak plasma concentration achieved after a 50-mg oral dose. The probability of rescue medication (REMD) decreased over time and was a function of the last observed PR score. This probability was < 16% for patients with a PR score >= 2. The probability of experiencing meaningful PR was 98% in patients who did not require REMD and 47% in those who required REMD. For patients who did not require REMD, the median onset time of meaningful pain relief (TMPR) decreased with increasing doses. In patients who required REMD, there was a saturable decline in TMPR, with the greatest improvement occurring from placebo to 50-mg doses. CONCLUSIONS The set of models developed permitted compilation of multiple dose-response curves for dose selection of CS-706 in Westerners and facilitated scaling of doses to a Japanese population.