Information on Celebrex

Pharmacia/Pfizer's hailed breakthrough painkiller, Celebrex, was introduced in January 1999 as a pain relief drug for arthritis. Celebrex immediately overtook the previous Viagra record of highest number of scripts issued within the first 15 weeks with 3.2 million. But millions of prescriptions filled, and just three months on the market, reports linking Celebrex to 10 deaths and 11 cases of gastrointestinal hemorrhages surfaced, according to the FDA, leaving many concerned over the safety of the deemed "super aspirin".

April 6, 2000, the FDA wrote a letter concerned with Pharmacia's Celebrex and its promotional advertisements that misrepresented the safety of the drug. This letter came despite the prior FDA warning regarding the same advertisements. Cardiovascular problems, as well as kidney and liver damage, ulcers, and even death, have been linked to this controversial drug. The FDA stated its concern over the misrepresentation of safety information, the unsubstantiated comparative claims, the lack of fair balance, and the misrepresentation of efficacy information.

Both Pharmacia and Vioxx maker Merck have used marketing to differentiate themselves from one another. Each company emphasizes small differences in the risks and benefits involved with each of their drugs. These small advantages and flaws begin to look huge to the company trying to set themselves apart from the other. The attempts to have labels changed and warnings removed from bottles of Celebrex and Vioxx were for the purpose of gaining the upper hand in the industry. The FDA is worried that this competition between pharmaceutical companies is leading to the over emphasis of the drugs positive effects while down playing the negative ones.

Vioxx Celebrex News

"Celebrex Heart Disease and Cerebrovascular Complication Warning Issued " BREAKING NEWS!!

October 14, 2003 - The October 2003 Federal Government’s Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee bulletin had updated warnings regarding arthritis drug Celebrex and a possible increased risk of heart disease and cerebrovascular complications. Read More Celebrex News....