Pfizer Criticized for Inadequate Celebrex Safety Data

Pfizer was criticized by members of a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee for having inadequate long-term safety data on its blockbuster arthritis drug Celebrex.

After Merck recalled its blockbuster and rival COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx from the market last September, the safety of Pfizer?s COX-2 drugs Celebrex and Bextra were called into question. A Merck sponsored long-term study had discovered an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes in Vioxx users.