December 17, 2004
Pfizer Inc. said it has found an increased risk of heart attacks with patients taking its blockbuster painkiller Celebrex. The company has no plans to remove the drug from the market.
In one of two long-term cancer prevention trials conducted by the National Cancer Institute, Celebrex patients taking 400mg to 800mg of the drug daily had a 2.5 times greater risk of experiencing major heart problems than those taking a placebo. The other trial showed no increased risk.
The trials were being conducted as part of an effort to find a new application for the drug.
Pfizer is the world’s largest pharmaceutical maker, and Celebrex is the most-prescribed drug for treating arthritis. In the first nine months of 2004, worldwide sales of Celebrex more than doubled from the same period a year earlier to $2.29 billion, accounting for six percent of Pfizer’s total sales of $37.59 billion.
Pfizer chairman Henry McKinnell said in a statement when releasing the study’s findings that the company wanted to “rapidly communicate new information to regulators, physicians and patients around the world.”
For more information on Celebrex warnings and the risk of heart attacks, please contact us to confer with a Celebrex Lawyer and learn your legal rights and options.
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