Celebrex News Alert

Pfizer Finds Heart Risk With Celebrex – Stock Plunges

December 17, 2004
Celebrex News Alerts and Lawyer Updates

Pfizer Inc. said Friday, December 17, 2004, that it had found an increased risk of heart problems with patients taking its painkiller Celebrex, a drug that is in the same class as the Vioxx, which was pulled from the market in September because of safety concerns.

Pfizer said the increased risk was found in one of two long-term cancer prevention trials, while the other trial showed no increased risk.

Merck & Co.’s abrupt withdrawal of Vioxx from the market had increased scrutiny on other COX-2 inhibitors – specifically Celebrex, made by Pfizer Inc. The European Medicines Agency in London recently stated that it would review safety data on all drugs of the class; the FDA has indicated previously it will be doing the same; and in the October 6, 2004, edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, two experts stated that many more people may be at risk from taking other popular drugs of the same class.

Merck withdrew its bestselling painkiller from the market after a placebo-controlled study found that the drug increased the risk of heart attack and stroke among users. Like Vioxx, Celebrex is part of a group of prescription medicines called COX-2 inhibitors that are supposed to be safer for treating arthritis pain than over-the-counter remedies like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen.

European medicines regulators will review all available long-term studies of drugs in the COX-2 inhibitors class. In addition to celecoxib (Celebrex), the regulators will review studies of valdecoxib, marketed as Bextra, and also made by Pfizer Inc. which is called Bextra. Both are made by Pfizer Inc.

In the two New England Journal of Medicine articles, both scientists stated that research into the way COX-2 inhibitors work indicates that Celebrex and similar drugs could also cause negative cardiovascular events similar to those linked to Vioxx, and that doctors should avoid prescribing them for patients at risk of heart disease.

TO REACH CELEBREX LAWYERS / ATTORNEYS

If you or a loved one have suffered from the dangerous side effects of Celebrex, you should consider receiving a free legal evaluation from an experienced Celebrex lawyer. For a free evaluation of your situation please complete the following form and a Celebrex attorney will contact you promptly – free of charge.