Other COX-2 Inhibitors
Other COX-2 inhibitors went on the market in early 2000. Celebrex and Bextra were prescribed as anti-inflammatory drugs for patients with arthritis, polyps and chronic pain. Since winning Food and Drug Administration approval, two of these drugs have been voluntarily recalled.
Bextra pulled in April ’05
Bextra, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) was prescribed for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and menstrual pain. In April 2005, G.D. Searle & Co. withdrew the drug at the recommendation of the FDA because of serious heart attack risks and sometimes fatal skin reactions.
Pfizer’s big review of Celebrex and NSAIDs
“The public and the medical community are confused,” says Dr. Dr. Steven Nissen. “The relative safety of these three drugs is simply not known. We’re going to answer the question: are they the same or are they not? There has been an erosion of public confidence in this class of drugs. We need to get an answer that is done in a way that is completely transparent.”
Not all medical researchers, however, are convinced. For example, Dr. Garret FitzGerald of the University of Pennsylvania believes that giving Celebrex or the two NSAIDs to people who are already at a high risk of having a heart attack or a stroke may be ethically dubious. He has also stated his concern that the PRECISION study might be little more than a way for Pfizer to buy time.