Bextra Product Recall

On Apr-07-05 the FDA asked Pfizer, the manufacturer of Bextra, to recall the pain medication from shelves across the U.S. due to risks of heart attacks and strokes in patients. Canada Health quickly followed suit and asked Pfizer to recall Bextra from Canadian shelves. Pfizer has also suspended sales of Bextra in the European Union.

Bextra has been prescribed to arthritis sufferers to relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Bextra has also been prescribed to women in hopes of relieving PMS and painful menstrual cycles. Bextra is classified as a Cox-2 inhibitor, a newly developed drug in the Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory (NSAID) family. To date, several Cox-2 inhibitors have been banned due to the increased risk of stroke, heart attack, stomach ulcers, liver damage, and severe skin reactions among patients.

On Jan-29-05, health care giant Kaiser Permanente, an HMO serving 2.6 million Californians, stopped prescribing Bextra to its patients.

"This is not a drug that saves lives,'' said Dr. Sharon Levine, a pediatrician who oversees medication usage for Kaiser Permanente's Northern California division. "It's a drug that provides a modest degree of pain relief -- no better than Motrin -- and the size of the risk, given the benefit provided, did not seem warranted.''

On Dec-10-04 the FDA increased the warning on Bextra labels to include a "black box" warning against using the medication for patients with cardiac problems.

On Nov-11-04, University of Pennsylvania researchers told the American Heart Association that a recent clinical trial revealed that patients taking Bextra had more than twice the incidence of heart attack and stroke than nonusers.

On Oct-18-04, Pfizer admitted that two small clinical trials showed heart bypass surgery patients taking Bextra had a higher risk of stroke and heart attack.

University of Pennsylvania pharmacologist Dr. Garret FitzGerald claims "The magnitude of [cardiac problems] with Bextra is even higher than what we saw in Vioxx." Bextra's risk appeared to pose a slightly higher risk than Vioxx for heart attack and stroke. FitzGerald believes that the same mechanism that makes the Cox-2 inhibitor drugs easier on the stomach also blocks a substance that prevents heart problems.

Bextra News

Bextra lawsuit filed in U.S. District court - East St. Louis on behalf of seven plaintiffs; five plaintiffs allegedly suffered strokes and heart attacks after taking the prescription pain reliever and two plaintiffs are filing complaints after their family member died due to cardiovascular problems allegedly associated with Bextra. The lawsuit seeks damages against Pfizer, Pharmacia, Monsanto and Searle with claims that the companies did not disclose proper warnings regarding Bextra's side effects and failed to adequately test Bextra prior to distribution. Monsanto and Searle merged with Pharmacia in 2000 and Pfizer and Pharmacia merged in 2003. (Oct-05-05)

Pfizer tried to pass an injectable pain medication similar to Bextra but the FDA disapproved the drug. Bextra was removed from the market last year after it was linked to the deadly skin disease Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. (Sep-20-05)

The FDA pulls Bextra off the market and issues a Public Health Advisory to patients using Cox-2 inhibitors Bextra and Celebrex warning of side effects and risks of cardiovascular (CV) events and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. (Apr-07-05)

Register your Bextra Complaint and Find a Bextra Lawyer

If you or a loved one has suffered from the side effects of Bextra, you may qualify for damages or remedies that may be awarded in a possible lawsuit. Find a Bextra Lawyer. Please click the link below to submit your complaint or call 1-866-886-5529 toll free. Click here to submit your complaint through a secure form to United Employees Law Group, PC. Posted on Nov-6-03

Bextra Injury Risks
Bextra Increases Risk of Fatal Heart Attack

Bausch Lomb Renu Moistureloc Linked to Eye Infection Fusarium Keratiti
Contact Lens Solution Product Recall

Bausch Lomb Renu Moistureloc Recall
Contact Lens Solution Product Recall

Heart of Atlanta v United States
Supreme Court Decision: Civil Rights Act Protected by Interstate Commerce Clause

Pet Food Recall and Deaths
Dogs and Cats Sickened by Tainted Menu Food Products

Mattel and Fisher-Price Toy Recall
Magnets and Lead Paint manufactured in China Create Poisoning and Health Hazard

Search Blog Directory:

Pfizer settles Bextra, Celebrex personal injury lawsuits
--> Pfizer settles Bextra, Celebrex personal injury lawsuits Lawsuits alleged painkillers caused heart attacks, strokes Related Pages: Celebrex Bextra Pfizer, Inc...

FDA News: Bextra recall (sort of)
I posted on my other blog, but it is worth noting here. This morning Pfizer voluntarily withdrew Bextra from the market. This because of the side effects of Heart Attack, Stroke and an unusual allergic reaction called Stevens Johnson Syndrome...

Bextra, Celebrex Cases Are Settling
Form the Health Blog of the Wall Street Journal: "Pfizer Starts Cutting Deals on Celebrex & Bextra Lawsuits," by Jacob Goldstein-- Pfizer has reached tentative settlements with lawyers representing hundreds of people who say the painkillers Celebrex and Bextra caused...

Arthritis And Social Security Disability
According to the Arthritis Foundation, more than 27 million people are effected by Osteoarthritis and another 1.3 million people live with rheumatoid arthritis...

Pfizer Strikes Some Tentative Settlements in Bextra and Celebrex Cases
Just days before the first Bextra trial was to begin, Pfizer has struck tentative settlements with some plaintiffs who alleged that painkillers Celebrex and Bextra caused heart attacks, according to lawyers at three plaintiff firms involved in the litigation...

Pfizer Feels Pain Over Celebrex
The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a lower court ruling that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. infringed two patents held by Pfizer Inc...

Search Blog Directory: