The chemistry of diclofenac sodium (Voltarol)

The study of phenylbutazone and of the major anti-inflammatory agents which followed a decade later provided target criteria for a research project aimed at the synthesis of a new anti-inflammatory agent with superior activity and tolerability. Diclofenac fulfils the steric and physicochemical criteria, and the absence of a heterocyclic ring from its chemical structure may have a beneficial influence on its tolerability.