Sulindac is a monocarboxylic acid that is 1-benzylidene-1H-indene which is substituted at positions 2, 3, and 5 by methyl, carboxymethyl, and fluorine respectively, and in which the phenyl group of the benzylidene moiety is substituted at the para position by a methylsulfinyl group. It is a prodrug for the corresponding sulfide, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, used particularly in the treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory conditions. It has a role as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, an EC 1.14.99.1 (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase) inhibitor, an antineoplastic agent, a non-narcotic analgesic, an antipyretic, an analgesic, a prodrug, a tocolytic agent and an apoptosis inducer. It is a sulfoxide, a monocarboxylic acid and an organofluorine compound. It is functionally related to an acetic acid.