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Bextra
11/9/2004 - BEXTRA LINKED TO HEART ATTACKS
Drug manufacturer Pfizer said recently that its Bextra drug, seen as an alternative to
Merck's Vioxx arthritis medication, may raise heart attack risk in high-risk bypass
surgery patients. Pfizer said that although clinical information on Bextra suggested
no increased heart attack risk in arthritis patients, two trials in a high-risk
surgery known as coronary artery bypass graft showed cardiovascular complications in
patients who received Bextra alone or in combination with Parecoxib, a pain
medication.
Additionally, the company said it is working with regulatory authorities to update the
Bextra product label to warn of a rare but serious skin reaction, mainly within the
first two weeks of therapy.The drug manufacturer said the risk of a serious skin
reaction is higher with Bextra than with Pfizer's other arthritis medication, Celebrex.
Pfizer said Bextra is not approved for use in surgery in the United States and that
the company was conducting further studies to confirm Bextra's long-term cardiovascular
safety. However, Pfizer's Dynastat medication, an injectable COX-2 inhibitor and
prodrug of Bextra, has been approved for use in surgical settings in Europe but not in
the United States.
Bextra Recall
Earlier this month, Merck issued a worldwide recall of its blockbuster arthritis drug
Vioxx after an ongoing trial confirmed the medication increases the risk of heart attack
and strokes.
Bextra Information
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