Celebrex

Celebrex Overview

Celebrex (Celecoxib) is a pain-relieving drug that works by selectively blocking a protein called COX-2 that has been linked to inflammation. The product was launched in 1999 and became a top-selling drug, supported by massive television and print advertising. Celebrex is approved in the United States for the treatment of arthritis and pain at recommended doses of 100mg to 200mg daily for osteoarthritis and 200mg to 400mg a day for rheumatoid arthritis.

In December 2004 Pfizer, Inc. confirmed that ]Celebrex increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes for patients taking high doses. This news followed just 10 weeks after pharmaceutical rival Merck withdrew its arthritis painkiller Vioxx from the market due to similar findings. Pfizer then suspended advertisements for Celebrex

The FDA assembled an advisory panel of physicians and pharmacological researchers to review Celebrex. In February 2005 the panel recommended that even though Celebrex users faced a greater risk for serious, even fatal, drug side effects and cardiovascular events, it should not be withdrawn. The panel voted 31-1 to keep Celebrex on the market, saying that its benefits outweigh their potential dangerous side effects

To date, Celebrex has been prescribed to 27 million Americans.

Doctors across the country have been inundated with phone calls from their patients and many have ceased prescribing Celebrex. Celebrex attorneys at Casey Gerry have already filed lawsuits against Pfizer, and the consumer group, Public Citizen, called on the FDA to ban Celebrex.