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Arthritis Drug Eyed for Heart Attack Risk; Celebrex Under Fire

Posted on: Saturday, 18 December 2004, 21:00 CST

Less than three months after the leading arthritis painkiller, Vioxx, was pulled from store shelves, a second drug, Celebrex, has been found to increase the risk of heart attack when taken in high doses, according to its manufacturer.

Pfizer Inc. said it would not pull the drug from the market, but a study testing it for cancer prevention has been halted. And some doctors said that finding out whether a patient has a history of heart problems before prescribing Celebrex or other "cox-2 inhibitors" is crucial until a review the National Institutes of Health has ordered is complete.

"That's a must," said Dr. Elinor Mody, a rheumatologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

For patients who decide not to take Celebrex, she said, there are several alternatives, such as methotrexate for people with rheumatoid arthritis and neurontin for people with nerve pain.

Dr. Joseph Feczko, president of worldwide development for Pfizer, said the heart risk results were not consistent with a second long- term cancer prevention trial or with a "large body of data."

The Food and Drug Administration nevertheless said it had "great concern" about cox-2 inhibitors. And Dr. Edward Langston, a member of the American Medical Association's Board of Trustees, said alternative drugs, including over-the-counter ones such as Tylenol, Advil and Alleve, sometimes are just as effective and cost a fraction of the price.

"We've been sold a bill of goods, thanks to some masterful marketing," said Dr. John Abramson, a Harvard Medical School instructor and author of "Overdosed America."

Some scientists had hoped Celebrex could be used to prevent certain types of cancer, in addition to relieving pain.

But the National Cancer Institute found patients taking between 400 and 800 milligrams a day were 2 1/2 times more likely to develop major heart problems.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Boston Herald

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