Meloxicam is a common pharmaceutical drug used to treat pain resulting from various musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis. It belongs to a class of drugs known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which are effective in relieving pain and reducing inflammation, although they are known to exhibit problematic side effects such as stomach ulcers, headaches and drowsiness. Meloxicam acts by suppressing the synthesis of prostaglandins, which are the main cause of an inflammatory response. This results in analgesic effects and reduced inflammation. Meloxicam is a commonly prescribed drug with over 22.5 million prescriptions in 2018.
This application brief describes the use of a Quasar C18 column to analyze meloxicam using a method based on the Indian Pharmacopeia (I.P).