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Naproxen lawsuit

Preliminary findings from a study by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, found patients taking naproxen have about a 50 percent greater chance of suffering strokes or heart attacks than those taking a placebo. In recent months, a heightened sensitivity about drug safety, especially with the particular class of drugs, has been the source of controversy and confusion. Naproxen belongs to a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that also includes recalled drug Vioxx, as well as Celebrex and Bextra, which have been linked to serious cardiovascular risks as well.

Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra belong to a subset of NSAIDs called Cox-2 inhibitors. The Vioxx recall was announced September 30, 2004, and since then, Merck & Co.s potential liability could reach $38 billion, according to some estimates. After Pfizer Inc. announced its drug Celebrex in high doses is linked to heart attacks and strokes, within just two market days the companys market value had fallen by $35 billion.

Naproxen is the generic name for the drug Aleve sold by German pharmaceutical company Bayer. Naproxen lawsuits potentially filed could affect Bayers financial results. When the naproxen effects were first announced, it was made on December 20, 2004 after the stock markets closed and Bayer said it had not yet reviewed the data for comment. Some experts do not believe naproxen lawsuits and Bayer liability and financial results will affect the company because the drug has been used for more than 30 years.

Naproxen was first sold by prescription in 1976 until it was approved for over-the-counter sales in 1994. Even though it has been on the market for a long time, naproxen lawsuits cannot be ruled out yet. According to Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, professor of cardiovascular medicine at UCLA, he noted that these medicines were originally studied in the short term for treatment of pain, and their cardiovascular effects were never really well scrutinizedNow theyre being used in higher doses longer term, and were seeing they indeed can increase the risk for myocardial infarction and strokes.

Even though naproxen warnings were issued, the FDA stopped short of recommending consumers find alternative medications. The FDA had a February 2005 meeting planned to discuss the safety implications of Cox-2 inhibitors, but now that the naproxen safety concerns have been made there are even more questions regarding NSAIDs. FDA officials do warn consumers of closely following naproxen directions and to avoid using the drug for more than 10 days.

For more information on naproxen and aleve side effects, please contact us to confer with a Naproxen Lawyer and learn your legal rights and options.

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