NSAIDs are frequently used to reduce pain and tissue inflammation in several autoimmune related disorders, particularly various forms of arthritis, the most common of which are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Traditional NSAIDs are associated with gastrointestinal side-effects, so when Cox-2 inhibitors, which had better selectivity and did not cause gastrointestinal problems, were introduced in late nineties, they were widely prescribed. However, the market for COX-2 inhibitors fell dramatically between 2004 and 2006 when several blockbuster products were withdrawn following the discovery that they were linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular incidents.

Since current medical treatments cannot cure or eliminate diseases such as arthritis, management will continue to concentrate on the relief of signs and symptoms. It is estimated that by 2012, approximately 6 million people in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, USA and Japan will suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and approximately 65 million from osteoarthritis.

The markets for both COX-2 inhibitors and NSAIDs are expected to grow; by 2012 the total sales of COX-2 inhibitors in the major markets is estimated to reach 3.9 billion USD, the corresponding figure for NSAIDs is 3.9 billion USD.