Toxicological studies on azapropazone

The toxicity of azapropazone, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic compound was studied in mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats, mongrel and beagle dogs, domestic pigs, rhesus monkeys, cynomolgus monkeys and baboons in experiments which ranged from acute, single-dose studies up to treatment periods of 1 year. The beagle dog was found to be especially sensitive to gastro-intestinal ulceration from azapropazone and this contrasted with the marked lack of gastro-intestinal hazard to other animals and particularly to the 3 primate species studied. The animal experiments did not indicate any potential risk to other body systems, and comparisons with other anti-inflammatory compounds, where these were made, suggest that azapropazone is at least as safe as other commonly-used agents. Azapropazone was not found to have teratogenic, carcinogenic or antimitotic activity and was shown not to produce local tissue damage.