What Is Bextra?

Significance

• Bextra was manufactured by drug moguls Merck and Pfizer, and was one of three so called miracle drugs: Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra. All of these are COX-2 inhibitors prescribed to relieve pain from arthritis and in some cases, pain from menstruation. Some have speculated that when Vioxx and Celebrex were pulled from the market because of their health risks, Pfizer knew that Bextra had the same potential health risks, but kept it on the market regardless.
  
  

Risks

• Those who have taken Bextra have suffered from various health conditions. These include heart attack, stroke, blood clots, Steven Johnson Syndrome, kidney damage and failure, interaction with blood pressure medication, and death.
  
  

Recall

• In September 2004, Vioxx was recalled from the market due its dangerous side effects. Because it was so similar to Bextra, some began to question the safety of that drug as well. Pfizer performed of a study of the drug, and in November 2004, released its findings. The participants who took Bextra were found to be twice as likely to suffer from heart attack, blood clot, stroke, or another adverse cardiovascular event than those in the control group. After the release of the study, Pfizer was urged by consumers and experts to remove the drug from the market. When it did not comply, the FDA ordered its removal, and on April 7, 2005, Bextra was no longer available for prescription in the United States. Canada and Europe soon followed with bans of their own.
  
  

Lawsuit

• In October 2008, Pfizer agreed to pay $894 million for the claims of injuries from users of both Celebrex and Bextra. They said this would cover about 90 percent of the claims that had been made against these drugs, however there are still a number of individual lawsuits that remain.
  
  

Warning

• Though Bextra is no longer available by prescription, there are places online that have it available for sale. You should realize though, that if you purchase it, you would be doing so at your own risk. You would be wise to completely research the product and look further into the studies done before taking a chance with your health.