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LONDON (Reuters) Jan 18 - COX-2 inhibitors like Merck & Co
Inc's withdrawn Vioxx may still be the best option for treating
some forms of arthritis, despite current safety concerns, British
scientists said on Wednesday.
Vioxx was pulled from the market in 2004 after a study showed
it doubled the risk of MI and stroke in people who took it for
at least 18 months.
Researchers from Imperial College London and Queen Mary, University
of London, however, said the same heart problems may be true for
traditional non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such
as aspirin, which can also cause gastric upsets.
After reviewing more than 100 papers on the subject, the researchers
concluded, in an article published in Nature Reviews of Drug Discovery,
that removing COX-2 inhibitors and returning to using NSAIDs could
cause additional problems.
"Although some COX-2 drugs have been reported to increase the
risk of heart attack and stroke, they may still remain the best
option for treating arthritis in some patients without cardiovascular
risk factors who cannot tolerate traditional NSAIDs because of
gastric side effects," said Professor Jane Mitchell of Imperial
College.
Merck has been sued by more than 7,000 people who claim to have
been harmed by Vioxx. The first trial ended in a hung jury last
year.
Last April, Pfizer Inc suspended sales of its COX-2 inhibitor
Bextra and it now includes a strong "black box" warning with its
COX-2 Celebrex.
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