More than a dozen new brands of single ingredient nimesulide and its combinations have been approved for manufacturing and marketing by various state drug control authorities in the last six months. According to industry sources, nimesulide as a single ingredient product is being marketed in India as well as in several European countries and no cases of any harmful side effects have been reported yet. However, serious doubts had been raised about the safety of the product as a combination with other drugs like paracetamol or ibuprofen. The Indian market for nimesulide is currently pegged at Rs 140 crore annually and is expected to increase substantially in the next few years. According to ORG-Marg data, the last nimesulide combination was launched by Ranbaxy under the brand name Dolomide in November 1999.
Sources say such reputed companies launch their drugs after due toxicity studies.
Nimesulide has been found to be as effective as mefanamic acid or paracetamol in reducing fever and inflammatory symptoms associated with upper respiratory tract infection and at reducing pain of various origins in children. For females, nimesulide preparations are recommended in cases of osteoarthritis, post-operative trauma, pharyngitis and other gynaecological disorders.