Vioxx Case Illustrates Dual Nature of Drugs
December 29, 2004 09:54

There is increasing evidence that not just Vioxx but similar drugs, like Celebrex, or celecoxib; and Bextra, or valdecoxib, both made by Pfizer, might increase the risk of heart problems. But the risks of Vioxx and Celebrex came to light only because they were... (Read this Vioxx Article)

In one of the great examples of the mixed messages of science, the same study that killed the blockbuster arthritis drug Vioxx after showing that it had heart risks also found that the drug had a significant benefit: It prevented precancerous colon polyps in... (Read this Vioxx Article)

The future of Celebrex, the best-selling arthritis pain medicine, may be determined as much by Dr. Jason Faller and other doctors treating arthritis patients as by federal regulators. Even if regulators do not force Pfizer to withdraw the drug because of... (Read this Vioxx Article)

Patients who suffer severe chronic pain and are no longer helped by morphine will soon have a new option.

The Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) on Tuesday approved the first in a new class of drugs that blocks the nerve channels responsible for transmitting pain signals. It will be marketed as Prialt and should be available by the end of January.

"When you've taken all the kinds of pain medication that there is and you still have pain, that is a very frightening situation," said Dr. Lars Ekman, president of research and development for the drug's Ireland-based manufacturer, Elan. "When you have that kind of pain, there is nowhere to go."

The drug is part of a new class known as N-type calcium channel blockers. It is known chemically as ziconotide.

Regulators at the Food and Drug Administration were already expected to take a more cautious approach about new drug approvals in the wake of Merck & Co.'s withdrawal from the market of its pain reliever Vioxx because it doubled patients' risk of heart attack... (Read this Vioxx Article)

The top executive at troubled pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., Raymond V. Gilmartin, may testify by March in some of the dozens of lawsuits filed in New Jersey over Merck's withdrawal of its blockbuster arthritis drug Vioxx, a lawyer for the company said Tuesday. ... (Read this Vioxx Article)