Bextra Heart Attack and Stroke Lawsuits

Bextra (valdecoxib) is in a class of drugs called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It is also a COX-2 inhibitor like Vioxx and Celebrex. The Bextra drug works by reducing substances in the body that cause inflammation, pain, and fever, and is used to reduce pain, inflammation, and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis and adult rheumatoid arthritis and painful menstruation.

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

Bextra is in a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It is also a COX-2 inhibitor like Vioxx and Celebrex. To date, a Bextra recall has not been initiated by Pfizer or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but rather an additional Bextra warning has been issued by the manufacturer. Vioxx however, has been recalled due to excessive heart attack, stroke and sudden cardiac related deaths to Vioxx users. The Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx medications work by reducing substances in the body that cause inflammation, pain, and fever, and is used to reduce pain, inflammation, and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis and adult rheumatoid arthritis. Ask your doctor or health care provider for more detailed Bextra information if you feel you or a loved one are at risk.

COX-2 Inhibitor Drugs and Medications

COX-2 inhibitor drugs are widely prescribed medications for inflammation and other pain connected with cases of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. According to medical experts, while conventional over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen can be used to quell such pain, the COX-2 drugs are often preferred by patients because they don't cause the stomach upset associated with some of the over-the-counter medications. The COX-2 inhibitors Bextra, Vioxx, and Celebrex are all coming under fire by medical researchers and the FDA as posing significant health risks to their users. Vioxx was recalled on September 30, 2004.

Bextra Side Effects

Recent studies indicate that Bextra may be associated with increases in heart attacks and strokes in some users of Bextra. Other side effects of Bextra may include blood clots, severe intestinal damage, ulcerations and bleeding, and possible kidney damage. Bextra is contraindicated in patients who have demonstrated allergic-type reactions to sulfonamides; in patients with known hypersensitivity to valdecoxib; and in patients who have experienced asthma, urticaria, or allergic-type reactions after taking aspirin or NSAIDs because severe, rarely fatal, anaphylactic-like reactions to NSAIDS are possible in such patients.

Other Bextra side effects involve life-threatening skin and hypersensitivity reactions, conditions that appear in the form of inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, genitals, intestinal tract, and membrane lining the eyelids. These rare skin disorders, the Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis can lead to lesions and blisters causing intense pain and even death from infection.

Bextra Recall Not Planned by Pfizer

(November 8, 2004) The New York Times reported that the American Heart Association study found the arthritis drug Bextra, made by Pfizer Inc., has shown a high incidence of heart attacks and strokes among patients. The Bextra study pooled data from 5,930 patients taking part in 12 trials. It found 2.19 times the number of heart attacks or strokes among patients given Bextra, compared with those given placebos. According to Dr. Garret A. Fitzgerald, a cardiologist and pharmacologist at the University of Pennsylvania, who presented the study, "The magnitude of the signal with Bextra is even higher than what we saw with Vioxx. This is a time bomb waiting to go off."

However, Pfizer claims the New York Times drew "unsubstantiated conclusions" about the drug's possible effect regarding cardiovascular safety. It also faulted the information, saying it wasn't published in a medical journal or subject to any sort of independent scientific review. Pfizer has said that Bextra is not associated with any increase in cardiovascular incidents in arthritis patients. Pfizer has also said that Bextra may be linked to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke when given to high-risk patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery. "Pfizer has shared Bextra clinical results in a timely manner with regulatory authorities both in the United States and worldwide," Feczko said.