Definition of Cox-2 inhibitor

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Cox-2 inhibitor: An antiinflammatory drug that selectively blocks the cox-2 enzyme. Blocking this enzyme impedes the production of the chemical messengers that cause the pain and swelling of arthritis inflammation. Cox-2 inhibitors do not pose as great a risk of injuring the stomach or intestines as drugs that block cox-1. An example of a cox-2 inhibitor is celecoxib (brand name: Celebrex).