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The Straight Scoop about Bextra
The arthritis drug Bextra, made by Pfizer Inc., has shown a high incidence of heart attacks and strokes among patients, according to an American Heart Association study, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Bextra is similar to Merck & Co.’s drug Vioxx. Merck voluntarily recalled Vioxx from shelves in late September when a study showed it increased the risk of a cardiac event.
The AHA’s preliminary study of Bextra was unveiled on Monday at a meeting in New Orleans, which 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, the Times reported.
“The magnitude of the signal with Bextra is even higher than what we saw in Vioxx. This is a time bomb waiting to go off,” Dr. Garret A. FitzGerald, a cardiologist and pharmacologist at the University of Pennsylvania who presented the study, told the Times in an interview.
Dr. Curt Furberg, professor of public health sciences at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, helped conduct the study that Dr. FitzGerald announced yesterday. "Basically, we showed that Bextra is no different than Vioxx, and Pfizer is trying to suppress that information," Dr. Furberg said.
"Arthritis drugs are not saving people's lives. Ironically, they're inducing heart attacks and may be losing people's lives," said Dr. Eric J. Topol, a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist who was among the first to warn about heart problems associated with the new painkillers.
Do I Need a Lawyer?
If the increased risk of serious cardiovascular problems including heart attack or stroke have become a reality for you -- and you have suffered a serious cardiovascular problem such as heart attack or stroke, or or required medical treatment (Aspirin, Beta-Blockers, or Anticoagulants) or a surgical procedure (Bypass, Stent, PTCA) then you likely were damaged by Bextra and should contact us immediately for a free, confidential evaluation of your case.
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