New form of ibuprofen may offer healthier – and faster – pain relief than the current version

Manufacturing ibuprofen with arginine (an amino acid) could negate the cardiovascular side effects of the drug, suggests new research in The FASEB Journal.

A team of scientists used rodents to show that ibuprofen arginate may allow people to take higher doses without the cardiovascular side effects associated with current formulations found in over the counter products.

And ibuprofen arginate is released into the bloodstream more quickly than current formulations, so should provide faster pain relief.

“While more experiments are required, our observations show that ibuprofen arginate provides, in one preparation, a COX-2 inhibitor and arginine supplement,” explains Dr Jane A. Mitchell, who is involved in the work. “Whilst remarkably simple, our findings are potentially game-changing in the pain medication arena.”

Click here to read the original research.

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