Bextra set to return to the market...
May 11, 2005 19:19

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Hank McKinnell said Tuesday the pharmaceutical company's suspended arthritis drug Bextra likely would return to the market because it was needed by patients.

Pfizer says they may bring Bextra back to the market but did not say when. Pfizer CEO says Bextra may come back soon. Pfizer said Tuesday it plans to discuss with regulators the possibility of returning its painkilling drug, Bextra, to the market on a limited basis. Pfizer likely will return its painkilling drug Bextra to the market, Hank McKinnell, Pfizer's chairman and chief executive, told Reuters. Pfizer Inc. said Tuesday that it continues to believe its painkiller Bextra could be an important treatment option for certain patient populations.

In related news, other over the counter painkillers like Motrin and Advil have long been considered harmless when taken in the recommended doses. The safety of these painkillers, though, has been called into question by the removal of Bextra and Vioxx, two newer painkillers recently pulled from store shelves due to safety.

In a move they claim will protect the health of millions of Americans, the FDA announced that they have made significant changes to the way drug companies are allowed to market non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Among other things, all over-the-counter non-selective medications must now.

Figuring out what to take for pain relief, particularly for the aches and pains associated with chronic ailments like arthritis, has never been more confusing.

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In response to media inquiries, Pfizer today issued the following statement:

As previously communicated, Pfizer has suspended sales of Bextra (valdecoxib) pending further discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pfizer continues to believe that Bextra could be an important treatment option for certain patient populations. In the future, the company plans to discuss options with the FDA under which Bextra might be made available to those patients.