Oral dosage form of a sulfonamide prodrug

摘要

A pharmaceutical composition that is substantially free of water comprises at least one orally deliverable dosage unit comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a sulfonamide prodrug and, where the prodrug is readily degradable ex vivo, has means to inhibit such degradation prior to oral administration. Illustratively the prodrug is parecoxib or a water-soluble salt thereof, and the composition has means to inhibit conversion of the parecoxib to valdecoxib. A method of treating or preventing a COX-2 mediated disorder in a subject comprises (a) dissolving at least one dosage unit of such a composition in a pharmaceutically acceptable aqueous vehicle to form a solution, and (b) orally administering the solution to the subject before substantial precipitation of insoluble matter occurs in the solution.