First Vioxx...now Celebrex?
The manufacturer of the immensely popular painkiller Celebrex has found that it may contribute to an increased risk of heart attacks. Pfizer Inc. says, however, that it has no plans to pull the drug from pharmacy shelves, pointing to a second study that shows no such effect.
As you no doubt remember, it was the recall of Vioxx by Merck & Co. in September that sent that company's financial outlook down the drain.
Celebrex is the world's most widely prescribed drug for treatment of pain related to arthritis, and this finding could be a severe blow to those who depend on it. While the conflicting study results don't allow any firm conclusions, I suspect that most physicians will err on the side of caution and remove the drug from the treatment protocol for at least those patients with existing heart problems.
Celebrex is not without its problematic side effects, current concerns aside. If you're treating the pain associated with something like a stress fracture, you need to be aware that Celebrex can inhibit the new bone growth that provides the healing of such injuries. If you find that your injury isn't healing as fast as you think it should, be sure to discuss this issue with your doctor, as the solution may be as simple as switching to a different type of pain medication.
I'm not familiar with Bextra. I see that it's a Pfizer product as well. I guess that gives the company a fallback product in the event the Celebrex deal turns out badly. But that might also condemn ALL the COX-2s.
The advantages of a product like Celebrex still seem to greatly outweigh the downsides, and I blame lawyers for the overabundance of caution by the drug manufacturers. But, then, I like to blame lawyers for everything, and as often as possible.
Posted by: Eric at December 17, 2004 03:57 PMAbout the publisher
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There is a third COX-2 inhibitor on the market: Bextra. I've taken a few of those in recent months. I have to assume that since it works in the same way, it entails some of the same risks. (The FDA is reportedly already looking at it.) Then again, every drug, from aspirin on up, has some potential downside; the pharmaceutical industry is no better than any other institution at handing out free lunches.
Posted by: CGHill at December 17, 2004 03:00 PM