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piroxicam suppositories (Riacen)

✓ Approved

Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. · PTGS1 · Small Molecule

What is piroxicam suppositories?

piroxicam suppositories is a small molecule developed by Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A.. It is approved for therapeutic indications via rectal.

Drug Profile

Brand NamesRiacen
CompanyChiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A.
Drug ClassSmall Molecule
Molecular TargetPTGS1, PTGS2
RouteRectal
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A.

Mechanism of Action

Molecular Targets

piroxicam suppositories acts on 2 molecular targets:

PTGS1prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1 (COX3, PCOX1)
PTGS2prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (GRIPGHS, hCox-2)
Want deeper analysis?Noah AI can explain complex mechanisms and compare to similar drugs.

Therapeutic Indications

piroxicam suppositories is developed for 1 unique indication across 1 therapeutic area.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Hepatobiliary disordersHepatitis✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedImmunopharmacology and immunotoxicology2026-07-22

Preclinical evaluation of 3,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid alone and in combination for adjuvant-induced arthritis in Wistar rats.

Saleem Ammara A, Afnan Afnan A, Irfan Muhammad M, Mobashar Aisha A et al.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disorders of joints. Its available therapies having serious adverse effects, high cost and poor patient compliance. The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic potential of 3, 4-dimethoxybenzoic acid or Veratric acid (VA) by in-vitro and in-vivo assays. Additionally, acute toxicity of VA was performed. The anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by Xylene-induced ear edema, and Carrageenan-induced paw edema models in Wistar rats. The VA was given at doses of 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg, with Piroxicam (10mg/kg) as standard drug. For anti-arthritic action, 0.1 ml of Complete Freund's adjuvant was intradermally inoculated in left posterior paw on first day while treatment with VA at 20, 40, 80, and VA 80 mg/kg + methotrexate and methotrexate (1 mg/kg) as standard drug were given orally on the 8th day for 21 days. Treatment with VA exhibited a substantial reinstatement of body weight, paw edema, arthritic scores, and oxidative stress in difference to disease control. All treatment groups exhibited notable down-regulation (p < .0001) of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-β, COX-2, and NF-κB and up-regulation of IL-10, 1-κβ, IL-4 in contrast to disease control. The combination group had exhibited noticeable anti-arthritic potential in comparison to individual treatment groups. In acute toxicity study, LD50 of VA was greater than 2000 mg/kg. It can be inferenced from data that VA can be safely used to treat arthritis especially in combination with MTX but it should be further evaluated in combination for long term use.

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PubMedJournal of cutaneous medicine and surgery2026-07-20

Vulvovaginal Lichen Planus Treatment Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Novel and Established Therapies.

Lee Andy D AD, Slade Alison A, Hong Joony J, Pollanen Sara S et al.

Vulvovaginal lichen planus (VVLP) is a chronic inflammatory mucocutaneous disease causing significant morbidity. Despite various available treatments, evidence regarding their effectiveness remains fragmented. To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of therapeutic interventions for VVLP with or without concomitant gingival involvement. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus databases without date restrictions. We included randomized and non-randomized studies reporting treatment outcomes in adults with VVLP. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. Risk of bias was assessed. We analyzed 1417 patients across 66 studies. Monotherapy was used in 25.2% (357/1417), dual-component therapy in 12.0% (170/1417), triple-component therapy in 51.2% (726/1417), and complex therapy in 11.6% (164/1417) of cases. Among monotherapies, systemic corticosteroids demonstrated the highest complete resolution (CR) rate at 88.9% (24 of 27 patients), followed by biologics with tildrakizumab achieving 88.0% CR (22 of 25 patients), and JAK inhibitors with tofacitinib showing 75.0% CR (6 of 8 patients), and intravaginal corticosteroid suppositories at 55.7% (54 of 97 patients). Triple-component therapy combining systemic corticosteroids, topical calcineurin inhibitors, and antimetabolites (methotrexate or mycophenolate mofetil) was most commonly used (66.8%, 485/726), with 41.6% achieving CR. Adverse events were generally mild, including burning sensations with topical agents and gastrointestinal symptoms with systemic immunosuppressants. Recurrence rates varied widely: 84% for topical corticosteroids alone, 11.9% for methotrexate, and 3.2% for tildrakizumab. While corticosteroids remain the mainstay of VVLP treatment, newer therapies, including JAK inhibitors (75.0% CR, 6 of 8 patients) and biologics, show promising efficacy. Among biologic monotherapies, tildrakizumab achieved 88.0% CR (22 of 25 patients), while the overall CR rate across all 31 biologic-treated patients was 71.0% (22 of 31 patients). These findings are based on small patient numbers and require validation in larger controlled trials. Triple-combination therapy is frequently employed for resistant cases. High recurrence rates with monotherapy suggest combination approaches may be necessary for the long term.PROSPERO Registration: CRD42025101229.

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PubMedEndocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets2026-07-16

Protective Effects of Geraniol in Rheumatoid Arthritis Through Attenuation of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress.

Ejaz Rubab R, Shabbir Arham A, Khateeb Zainab Z, Fatima Tabinda T et al.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints. Geraniol, an acyclic monoterpene alcohol, is present in essential oils of various plants and is known to possess anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant properties. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of geraniol on the development of arthritis in a Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA)-induced rat model using a pretreatment (pre-induction) design. Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats (100-200 g) of either sex were randomly allocated to six experimental groups using a lottery method: normal control group, arthritic disease control group (FCA 0.15 ml, intradermal), geraniol-treated groups (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, oral gavage), and standard control group (piroxicam-beta-cyclodextrin 10 mg/kg). Development of arthritis, paw thickness, and paw edema were determined periodically. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was performed to examine the histopathological alterations in ankle joints. On day 21, blood samples were collected for hematological evaluations; mRNA expression levels and antioxidant activities of biomarkers were determined using qRT-PCR and spectrophotometric analysis, respectively. Geraniol pretreatment was associated with reduced arthritic scores, paw edema, and joint thickness compared with the disease control group. Pretreatment with geraniol attenuated alterations in hematological parameters, reduced MDA levels, and improved antioxidant activity by increasing GSH, SOD, and CAT levels. Additionally, it downregulated the expression levels of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) compared with the disease control group. Administration of geraniol resulted in the reduction of inflammatory parameters, hematological parameters, and prooxidant markers, and downregulated IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and hypoxia- inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) associated with rheumatoid arthritis, while increasing antioxidant markers. Geraniol pretreatment was associated with reduced severity of arthritis, lower inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression, and improved oxidative stress markers in an FCA-induced rat model. These findings reflect effects on disease development in a pretreatment (pre-induction) experimental model and do not represent therapeutic efficacy in established rheumatoid arthritis. Further studies using post-induction treatment designs are required to evaluate potential therapeutic relevance.

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PubMedScientific reports2026-07-14

Puji Zhichuang suppositories alleviate acetic acid-induced hemorrhoid-like anorectal inflammation model may involve reduced the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

Yang Min M, Liang Hongbao H, Li Jian J, Shi Lei L et al.

Hemorrhoids are commonly associated with inflammatory manifestations. Puji Zhichuang suppositories (PJZC) have been widely applied in the treatment of hemorrhoids; however, their underlying therapeutic mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, this study investigated the mechanisms of PJZC in inflammatory hemorrhoids using network pharmacology, 16 S rDNA sequencing, and fecal metabolomics analyses. First, the anti-inflammatory effects of PJZC were validated by evaluating perianal diameter, anorectal coefficient, TNF-α and IL-6 levels, intestinal barrier integrity, and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Subsequent multi-omics analyses demonstrated that PJZC exert anti-inflammatory effects may involve reduced PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, gut microbiota composition and metabolic profiles. Finally, molecular docking analysis predicted that the core targets and active ingredients may be closely related to ITGB1, EGFR, and bile acids.

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PubMedScientific reports2026-07-10

Exposomic fingerprints of emerging contaminants in a mediterranean multi-by‑product dietary supplement: a preliminary study.

Toledo-Gil Rosa R, Gonzalez-Garcia Angela A, Crupi Pasquale P, Yuste-Jiménez Jose Enrique JE et al.

The increasing use of reclaimed water in Mediterranean agriculture, together with the valorization of agro-industrial by-products, has created new scenarios for potential contaminant transfer into food-derived products. Plant-based dietary supplements constitute a distinctive exposure niche because plant materials may accumulate environmental contaminants during cultivation, while downstream processing can concentrate both bioactive compounds and xenobiotics. In this preliminary case study, a targeted UHPLC-MS/MS approach was applied to BIOMEDER, a Mediterranean multi-by-product dietary supplement formulated from plant materials cultivated under conditions that included reclaimed-water irrigation, to investigate the occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, cyanotoxins, bisphenols, and a lifestyle-related marker were simultaneously evaluated. Twenty-four pharmaceuticals (Σ = 167.8 ± 5.1 ng g-1), sixteen pesticides (Σ = 358.0 ± 0.8 ng g-1), caffeine (49.5 ± 0.2 ng g-1), and four cyanotoxins (Σ = 0.8 ± 0.0 ng g-1) were detected, whereas bisphenols were not detected above the method detection limits. Screening-level daily intake estimates, calculated assuming a supplement consumption scenario of 1 g day-1, indicated higher body-weight-normalized exposure for children (25 kg body weight) than adults (70 kg body weight). Pesticides represented the dominant contaminant class, with phosmet, fluazinam, and chlorantraniliprole contributing most to the overall burden, while piroxicam and diclofenac were the principal pharmaceutical residues. Although the detected concentrations were low, the simultaneous occurrence of multiple contaminant classes highlights the relevance of mixture-based exposure assessment for plant-derived supplements. Because the study was conducted on a single supplement formulation, the results should be interpreted as a proof-of-concept dataset rather than as representative of plant-based supplements in general. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the concurrent occurrence of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, cyanotoxins, and a lifestyle-related chemical marker in a Mediterranean agro-industrial by-product dietary supplement, providing a baseline for future exposomic investigations and the development of monitoring strategies within a One Health framework.

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PubMedBiomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie2026-07-09

Effect of electron beam irradiation of piroxicam on inhibiting the inflammatory response in LPS-stimulated BMDCs and sepsis-induced mouse models.

Yoo Bo-Gyeong BG, Jeong Gyeong Han GH, Song Ha-Yeon HY, Lee Yuna Y et al.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as piroxicam (PX), are widely used but are limited by gastrointestinal and hepatic toxicity. Electron beam (e-beam) irradiation can induce structural diversification of small molecules, potentially generating derivatives with altered pharmacological profiles. We investigated the biological activities of e-beam-irradiated piroxicam (PX-EB) and two purified derivatives-Radioxicam-1 (Rdx-1) and Radioxicam-2 (Rdx-2). High-performance liquid chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analyses supported the formation and structural assignment of Rdx-1 and Rdx-2 as PX-derived radiolytic products. In bone marrow-derived dendritic cells, PX, PX-EB, Rdx-1, and Rdx-2 exhibited no significant cytotoxicity at concentrations up to 25 μM. Rdx-1 and Rdx-2 significantly suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine (tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-12) production more strongly than intact PX. Rdx-1 and Rdx-2 also reduced nitric oxide production. Mechanistically, they preferentially modulated COX-2 and decreased prostaglandin E2 secretion, while showing limited effects on constitutive COX-1; they also influenced selected inflammatory signaling pathways including p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases phosphorylation and nuclear factor-κB accumulation. In a lipopolysaccharide-induced sepsis model, PX-EB showed mediator-specific systemic anti-inflammatory activity and a relatively favorable hepatic biochemical profile, compared with PX. Collectively, these findings suggest that e-beam irradiation generates structurally distinct PX-derived radiolytic products with selective immunomodulatory activities, supporting further investigation of irradiation-based structural modification as a strategy to expand the pharmacological utility of existing NSAID.

PMID 42419197
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