Florida Defective Drug Attorneys

It has been linked to many cases of strokes, heart attacks and has also been associated to the possibility of blood clots in a number of cases. The drug is now the last of a breed of COX-2 inhibitors still being prescribed to patients in the United States of America. Used for the treatment of menstrual cramps experienced by women, and also offered to patients to help them deal with osteoarthritis, there are two well-known pharmaceutical companies that continue to market the drug. With less than positive results, the FDA in 2005 decided to question the use of the medication and put together an advisory committee to investigate further.

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Focus On the Benefits

The question was put forth to the advisory committee, whether the benefits would outweigh the need to reconsider using the drug. During a two-day meeting put together to evaluate the report, there were strong indications that the COX-2 inhibitors could be the cause of cardiovascular problems in patients. The results of the advisory meeting allowed the medications to remain in use until heart and skin concerns drove the FDA to request Pfizer to pull its Bextra product from the market.

Warning Signs

Comparisons were brought to bear after tests were carried out on the COX-2 Inhibitor and published by the well-respected Am. J. Med. When more than 8,000 patients were tested and found that Vioxx may have contributed to a variety of medical issues like cardiovascular problems, stroke, blood clots and even death in 2004, Merck decided to pull the product from the shelves. That decision caused a string of questions about the safety of Bextra, naproxen and Celebrex and whether the patients should be concerned about their use.

Protecting Yourself

Dr. Fitzgerald, a well-known scientist operating out of the University of Pennsylvania has indicated that the response from the human body to Celebrex and Bextra are similar to Vioxx, which suggests that patients should not be exposed to them. The high rate of patients experiencing heart issues while using either Vioxx or Celebrex is less than 1%; however those are still unacceptable numbers by any standards. Patients who are being prescribed with the drug Celebrex can consult their legal counsel immediately for advice on how to proceed. Our defective drug attorneys at Zimmerman & Frachtman are capable of providing you with options of what to do next.

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