What molecule am I?
Meloxicam is one of numerous medications that have human and veterinary uses. It is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that, like most others in this class, is used to reduce pain, inflammation, and fever. Like most NSAIDs, it has several adverse side effects, including gastrointestinal bleeding, heart attack, and stroke.
More than 25 years ago, meloxicam was developed and marketed by the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer-Ingelheim. It is now off-patent and sold generically under a variety of trade names. For human use in the United States, two of its brand names are Mobic and Vivlodex.
For veterinary use, it is US Food and Drug Administration–approved for dogs and cats, but it is often used off-label in other animals. Trade names include Meloxidyl, Loxicom, Orocam, and the original proprietary name Metacam.
MOTW Update
The thiophosphonate ester VX was one of the Molecules of the Week for July 16, 2012. It is a chemical warfare agent that is more powerful than sarin. VX made international news recently because it was used to assassinate Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
Learn more about this molecule from CAS, the most authoritative and comprehensive source for chemical information.
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