December 17, 2004
After Vioxx was pulled from the market in September because of increased risk of heart attacks and stroke, now Pfizer Inc. says it has found an increased risk of heart problems with patients taking its painkiller Celebrex.
Celebrex is in the same class of pain drugs called COX-2 inhibitors as Vioxx was. When Vioxx was recalled, the only two remaining COX-2 drugs left on the market was Pfizer’s Celebrex and Bextra. Earlier this month, the FDA said it was adding a warning to Bextra labeling of potential heart problems associated with the use of the drug in patients who have recently had heart bypass surgery.
Pfizer announced it found the increased risk of heart problems with Celebrex patients in one of two long-term cancer prevention trials, while the other trial showed no increased risk. The trials were being conducted as part of a new application effort for the drug. The study announcement contradicts another recent study suggesting Celebrex does not carry the same heart attack risk as Vioxx.
In studies performed five years ago, at the time of the Vioxx and Celebrex approval, they suggested the same mechanism that inhibits inflammation and makes the drug easier on the stomach also blocks a substance that prevents heart problems.
For more information on Celebrex side effects, please contact us to confer with a Celebrex Lawyer and learn your legal rights and options.
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