CELEBREX MAY NOT CARRY RISK OF HEART ATTACKS

The Washington Post, 12/06/2004 New research suggests that top-selling pain reliever Celebrex does not carry the same heart attack risk as Vioxx, a similar drug pulled from the market in September because of safety concerns. The study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania is the first to compare the two arthritis drugs since the recall and contradicts claims that all COX-2 inhibitors may carry similar dangers. "Relative to Celebrex, Vioxx had about a threefold greater risk of heart attacks," said Stephen Kimmel, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology and lead author of the study. The study, funded by the makers of both drugs and the federal government, is being published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. ***** For complete story, see