CELEBREX

Celebrex is a drug used to prevent colon cancer in high-risk patients and treat arthritis. However, researchers warn that the drug can also increase your risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack. Pfizer Inc. claims that high doses of the drug may lower pre-cancerous polyps by up to 45%, based on two clinical trials. Unfortunately, an analysis of these same studies revealed that patients who took Celebrex also suffered more cardiovascular complications.
Celebrex is a COX-2 inhibitor which works in much the same way as Merck & Co. Inc.’s Vioxx. This drug was removed from the market in 2004 after studies revealed that it doubled the risk of strokes and heart attacks. During the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting, participants evaluated the possibility that over-expression of the COX-2 enzyme contributes to the spread and growth of colorectal tumors. If this is the case, COX-2 inhibitors may lower the amount of benign tumors in patients with a history of the disease and hinder development of sporadic colorectal tumors.
The trials involved patients who were on average 60 years old and had previously had precancerous colon polyps removed. Most of the participants were smokers who had several cardiovascular risk factors, including chest pain, diabetes, high blood pressure and previous strokes or heart attacks. Read more…

Celebrex & Vioxx

A panel of experts with the FDA recently made recommendations regarding Celebrex and Vioxx, two expensive drugs used to treat individuals with arthritis. The drugs that are known as selective COX-2 inhibitors are marketed as powerful and strong, although studies have not proven them to be any more effective than older non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs called NSAIDs. The ruling of the FDA focused on the supposed ability of the COX-2 inhibitors to reduce pain without the gastrointestinal risks associated with older NSAIDs.

Celebrex’s manufacturer, Pharmacia, submitted results from a study comparing its drug with ibuprofen and diclofenac, two other NSAIDs. The FDA determined that the company had not presented a significant safety advantage of their drug compared to other NSAIDs. Consequently, the panel refused Pharmacia’s request to remove the gastrointestinal risk warning, “serious stomach problems, such as bleeding, can occur without warning” that all NSAIDs must include on their packaging and in all of their advertisements. This is in spite of the fact that these drugs can cause ulcers.

Many study participants also took low aspirin doses in order to minimize their risk of a heart attack. This canceled any benefits regarding protecting the stomach that Celebrex claims to offer. Most of the individuals targeted by Celebrex are older and more likely to be taking aspirin. The FDA also issued Pharmacia a fourth warning letter claiming that their marketing of Celebrex is “false, lacking in balance.” The company minimized the potentially serious risk posed to individuals who use Celebrex in combination with blood-thinning drugs such as aspiring.
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