I wrote this 2 months ago – Is it a class effect

I would not take a Cox-2 at this time for more than a short course. But then, I would not have taken these drugs chronically prior to the Vioxx announcement. I will avoid prescribing this class except under very clear, narrow indications.

Today, the NEJM released results for Celebrex – Pfizer Says Painkiller Tied to Increased Risk of Heart Attack

Pfizer Inc. said it has found an increased risk of heart attacks with patients taking its top-selling painkiller Celebrex, a drug that is in the same class as Vioxx, but has no plans to remove it from the market.

Pfizer announced Friday that it found the increased risk in one of two long-term cancer prevention trials, while the other trial showed no increased risk.

The National Cancer Institute, which was conducting the study for Pfizer, suspended the use of Celebrex after discovering that patients taking 400mg to 800mg of the drug daily had a 2.5 times greater risk of experiencing major heart problems than those who were not. A separate cancer study found no increased heart risk with patients taking 400mg of Celebrex per day.

Pfizer says that they have no plans to withdraw Celebrex at this time. I wonder who is advising them?