A low-dose formulation of meloxicam for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain has been approved by the FDA.

The medication marketed in the US as Vivlodex by Iroko pharmaceuticals is made using a proprietary technology for producing submicron-size particles of meloxicam that are 10 times smaller than their traditional size.

According to company information the reduction in particle size provides the drug with an increased surface area, allowing it to be more quickly dissolved and absorbed.

The FDA based its approval on data from a phase 3 study of 402 osteoarthritis patients aged 40 years or older that found that the drug achieved efficacy at 33% lower doses than currently available meloxicam products.