About Bextra® - The Pfizer Prescription Arthritis Drug

What is Bextra®

Manufactured by Pfizer Inc., Bextra® was recently withdrawn from the market as a result of the increased risk of cardiovascular problems and dangerous skin reactions.

Bextra® is a prescription drug used to treat arthritis joint pain, inflammation, and stiffness, as well as painful menstrual cramps. The brand name for valdecoxib, Bextra® is in a relatively new class of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) known as COX-2 inhibitors. Some other well-known COX-2 inhibitors include Celebrex® (celecoxib), Vioxx® (rofecoxib), and Arcoxia® (etoricoxib). These arthritis medicines are touted as providing strong pain relief without irritating the stomach lining. While Bextra® has proved to be an effective medication for the relief of arthritis symptoms, certain dangerous side effects have been reported.

Bextra® Side Effects

A number of studies have been performed to assess the safety of Bextra® and other COX-2 inhibitors. It has been shown that Bextra® can increase the risk of heart attack in patients who have recently undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). For this reason, Bextra® is not approved for management of pain before or after CABG surgery. Bextra® side effects also include the possibility of serious skin reactions, such as Steven-Johnson Syndrome and toxic epidermal necrosis. Pfizer has revised the warning label on Bextra® in the past, stating that patients have reported severe and, in some cases, fatal skin reactions.

Bextra® Recall?

Since the recent recall of Vioxx®, Merck's prescription arthritis drug, greater scrutiny has been focused on NSAIDs - specifically COX-2 selective inhibitors. Celebrex®, Pfizer's other popular arthritis medication, has come under fire recently and Pfizer is adding expanded risk information to the label at the request of the FDA. The dangers of Bextra®, however, have been found to outweigh the benefits for patients taking the drug. On April 7, 2005, the FDA asked Pfizer to pull Bextra® off the market in a voluntary recall due to the increased risk of cardiovascular problems and serious skin reactions. After considering data regarding the drug, the agency concluded that although the cardiovascular risk is no greater with Bextra® than other NSAIDs, the additional dangers of potentially life-threatening skin reactions linked to the medication warrant its removal from the market.

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