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Celebrex
Celebrex May Increase Heart Problem Risks - 12/17/2004
Pfizer announced that its painkiller Celebrex puts patients at "increased
cardiovascular risk" for heart problems, citing a long-term cancer study. Celebrex is
in the same class as Bextra and
Vioxx, which was pulled from the market in
September because of safety concerns.
About Celebrex
Celebrex, also known as celecoxib, was approved by the FDA
in December 1998 and is made by Pharmacia/Pfizer. Over 20
million people have been prescribed Celebrex.
Celebrex is prescribed for the relief of symptoms of:
- osteoarthritis (also known as "wear and tear"
arthritis, a degenerative joint disease common in older
people)
- adult rheumatoid arthritis (a severe form of arthritis
which affects over 2 million people)
- primary dysmennorhea (severe menstrual cramping)
- acute pain in adults
An article published in August, 2001 in the medical journal
JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) raised
concerns over the possible impact on cardiovascular health.
This article can be found at http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/286/8/954
.
The next month, the American Heart Association, the National
Stroke Association and the Arthritis Foundation asked Celebrex's
manufacturer to test whether Celebrex increases the risk of
heart attack and stroke.
The popular and heavily advertised arthritis drugs Vioxx
and Celebrex have been linked by researchers to an increase
in the risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.The
study from the Cleveland Clinic appeared in the Journal of
the American Medical Association and was based on an analysis
of previous clinical trials. Celebrex and Vioxx are projected
to produce U.S. sales greater than $6 billion this year.
Celebrex
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