Investigations: Bextra & Celebrex

Like Vioxx, another Cox-2 inhibitor, the popular and heavily advertised arthritis drug Celebrex (celecoxib) has been linked by researchers to an increase in the risk of blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, and even death. In fact, as recently as March of 2006, researchers from New Zealand's Medical Research Institute conducted a reanalysis of older studies done on Celebrex and their conclusions confirmed the medical industry’s earlier concerns about the widely prescribed arthritis medication: that Celebrex could nearly double the risk of heart attack in patients taking the drug.

As with Vioxx and Celebrex, Bextra (valdecoxib) has now been shown to more than double a patient's chance of a serious thrombotic event such as a heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs). This represents a potential risk factor even greater than with Vioxx, which was removed from the market in September 2004.

Although Bextra's manufacturer, Pfizer, claimed that Bextra was chemically different than Vioxx and did not present the same heart-related risks, data has shown that patients who took Bextra carried more than twice the risk of experiencing a severe coronary injury such as a heart attack, stroke, or death.

In addition, Bextra has been shown to cause rare but serious skin reactions such as Stevens Johnson Syndrome more often than any other drug in its class. These potentially deadly skin reactions occurred most often during the first two weeks of a patient’s Bextra use.
Under pressure from the FDA and the medical community, Bextra was finally pulled from the market in April 2005.

All federal Celebrex and Bextra litigation has now been consolidated into a Multi District Litigation court (or “MDL”) in San Francisco, CA. Lewis Saul & Associates continues to closely monitor this litigation as it progresses to better serve the needs of our clients who have current Celebrex and Bexta claims with our firm.

If you believe that you, or someone you know, may have been injured as a result of taking Celebrex or Bextra, please contact our office toll-free at (888) 747-5342 for a free consultation. One of our attorneys will be happy to speak with you about investigating a potential claim on your behalf.