What is Bextra?
Prior to being removed from the market at the request of the FDA, Bextra was prescribed to deal with symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and painful menstrual cycles. Bextra has the generic name of valdecoxib, and was marketed by Pfizer. Bextra is a member of the class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also known as NSAIDs. Bextra and other NSAIDs are used in the treatment of pain and inflammation. Other well-known NSAIDs include aspirin and ibuprofen. Within this class of NSAIDS, Bextra is a cox-2 inhibitor, which is a classification Bextra shares with other high profile drugs that have been featured in the media recently, Vioxx and Celebrex. Vioxx was also voluntarily removed from the market by its manufacturer, Merck & Co., after it was linked to an increased risk of negative cardiovascular side effects like heart attack and stroke, in those to whom it was prescribed. Celebrex, marketed by Pfizer, currently remains available on the market; however Celebrex now carries a "black box warning" concerning possible increased negative cardiovascular side effects. The black box warning is the most severe warning the FDA can give for a drug, short of having the drug pulled from the marketplace entirely. These cox-2 inhibitors are designed to assist in relieving the pain and inflammation that arthritis patients suffer from, by blocking the cox-2 enzyme that creates prostaglandins in the body. Decreasing these prostaglandins helps the body in reducing pain and inflammation.
 Contact us regarding Bextra; attorney consultations are free.
Bextra Alert and Removal from the Market
In 2004, the New York Times reported that a study of Bextra conducted by the American Heart Association found that there were 2.19 times as many heart attacks and strokes reported amongst patients given Bextra than those patients given a placebo. The data was compiled from 12 trials involving a total of 5,930 patients. On April 7, 2005, the FDA requested that Pfizer voluntarily remove Bextra from the United States market, due to the drug's link to significant negative side effects. It was requested that Bextra be removed from the market because the FDA has found that the overall risk of taking Bextra surpasses any benefit that the drug may provide. Bextra is linked to serious cardiovascular side effects like heart attack and stroke. Bextra has also been linked to very serious skin problems including toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and erythema multiforme. Some of the skin condition side effects may be potentially fatal. European regulators have also made Bextra unavailable in the European Union market. Physicians have been advised to have those patients who are treated with Bextra moved to alternative medications for their needs.
Questions and Consultations
If you or a family member has used the prescription drug Bextra and noticed adverse side effects, such as heart attacks or Stevens-Johnson syndrome, you should contact a physician immediately. If you would like to discuss your rights, are interested in more information on Bextra litigation, or if you have information about the cases that you would like to share with us, please fill out the short evaluation form below and a member of Seeger Weiss LLP's experienced staff will call you to discuss your potential rights concerning Bextra. Attorney consultations incur no obligation on your part and all initial consultations are free of charge and do not create an attorney-client relationship. Seeger Weiss LLP has office locations in both New York and New Jersey and its attorneys practice in courts throughout the country.
Link To Lawyer Seek's Bextra Content:
<a href='http://www.lawyerseek.com/Practice/Pharmaceutical-Injury-C1/Bextra-P32/'>Bextra: Lawyer Seek</a> |
|
