Incidence of cancer is still increasing. Chemotherapy is often unsuccessful; moreover, anticancer drugs cause serious side-effects. It is necessary to develop effective agents for combination therapies that would increase antitumor effects of treatment and reduce its side-effects.

Anticancer activity of oxicam derivatives (PR17 and PR18) alone and in combination with simvastatin on doxorubicin-resistant colon cancer cells was studied. Apoptosis was investigated via caspase-3 activation assay as well as via western blot analysis of expression of apoptotic components, B-cell lymphoma 2 protein (BCL2) and BCL2-associated X protein (BAX). Expression and activity of cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX2) was also assessed.

Oxicam derivatives induced apoptosis through a caspase-3-dependent pathway, up-regulated BAX expression, and down-regulated BCL2 expression. Additionally, oxicam derivatives reduced expression and activity of COX2. Effect of oxicam derivatives on these processes was strongly potentiated by simvastatin.

Oxicam derivatives at low concentrations effectively inhibit growth of cancer cells after co-administration with simvastatin.