WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Pfizer pulls ads for Celebrex, will continue to sell painkiller

Pfizer pulls ads for Celebrex, will continue to sell painkiller

(National-NBC) Dec. 20, 2004 - Drug maker Pfizer has pulled its ads for its arthritis painkiller, Celebrex, but says the drug is staying on the market.

Celebrex's safety came into question last Friday when preliminary findings from a study showed patients taking high doses of the drug had more than double the risk of heart attack and stroke the same cardiovascular risks that prompted Merck to pull Vioxx

Henry McKinnel, the CEO of Pfizer, says the company still has confidence in Celebrex, "We're in a completely different circumstance than Merck found themselves. The vast body of information that did show elevated risk from Vioxx ... those same studies show reduced risk from Celebrex." Pfizer says Celebrex has not been shown to be dangerous to arthritis patients when taken at normal doses.

The heart attack risk in the study disclosed Friday occurred when patients took the drug at two to four times the usual dose for many months. One long-term cancer study found high doses (400mg - 800mg) of Celebrex over time more than doubled the risk of heart attack, but a second study found no increased risk at all.

The FDA is now considering regulatory action and is advising doctors to consider alternate painkillers.

Cardiologist Doctor Bill Cole says, "For the time being I think patients have to make their own decisions, and I think for the time being I'm advising my patients to hold the medication."

To promote celebrex Pfizer spent $71 million through September, but it was a profitable proposition. Celebrex brought in at least $2 billion for Pfizer this year. A company spokeswoman tells The New York Times the move covers television, radio, newspaper and magazine advertising.

Critics, however, say a recall of Celebrex is inevitable and say Pfizer is just exposing itself legally with each day of delay.

The FDA says those who use Celebrex should take the lowest effective dose.

updated 3:25m by Chantelle Janelle