Renewed fears about the safety
of arthritis drug Celebrex have been raised after scientists
linked it to an increased risk of heart attacks.
A Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
study suggested those on the drug had double the heart
attack risk.
Celebrex is in the same drug family as
Vioxx, withdrawn from sale last year.
Arthritis experts said Celebrex offered
the best pain relief for some, while makers Pfizer said
a larger study found it was as safe as other painkillers.
Like Vioxx, Celebrex
is a Cox-2 inhibitor, which have fewer side-effects on
the digestive system than other common painkillers such
as ibuprofen.
In 2004 at least 600,000 patients were
prescribed Celebrex - which is the brand name for celecoxib
- in the UK.
But doctors are now advised not to give
it patients with a heart condition or stroke.
Vioxx was voluntarily withdrawn from
world markets by drug firm Merck after research linked
it to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Professor Richard Beasley, from the Medical
Research Institute of New Zealand in Wellington, carried
out this latest research in an attempt to discover if
patients on Celebrex faced any similar risks.
After pooling together and analysing
data from six trials involving almost 13,000 patients,
he concluded that patients on the drug faced double the
heart attack risk.
He said: "Drug regulatory authorities
need urgently to re-examine the assessment of the drug
in light of these findings."
Risks
Four of the studies comparing Celebrex
with a "dummy" placebo found patients taking the drug
were 2.26 times more likely to suffer a heart attack as
those who were not.
When Celebrex was compared with other
painkillers like ibuprofen and paracetamol, all six of
the studies found the heart attack risk was raised 1.88-fold.
Professor Beasley said his findings were
critical because the risk was similar in magnitude the
2.24-fold risk of heart attack linked to Vioxx.
Manufacturers Pfizer said: "Patients
taking Celebrex had no more risk for heart attack, stroke,
or CV (cardiovascular) death combined than those given
non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)."
'Re-consider'
It pointed to a much larger study of
44,000 patients, pooling data from 40 clinical trials,
which found those taking Celebrex were at no greater risk
of heart attack than patients on traditional painkillers
such as ibuprofen.
A spokesman for Arthritis Care said:
"All drugs carry risks and benefits.
"People who experience severe pain as
a result of their arthritis will need to balance the possible
risk from particular drugs against the benefits taking
them could bring.
"We would urge anyone worried about this
latest study to consult their GP."
An Arthritis Research Campaign spokeswoman
added: "Many GPs and hospital consultants stopped prescribing
Celebrex after the withdrawal of Vioxx in September 2004.
"This latest evidence may now prompt
drug regulators to re-consider and think about taking
the drug off the market.
"It means that there is less choice for
people with arthritis, but patient safety is paramount."
Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director
of the British Heart Foundation, said: "There has always
been a question over the safety of these drugs. Their
reputation is already tainted and GPs are all aware of
the risks.
"But some people live with appalling
pain.
"If they know that the attack doubles
their risk of heart attack - but their personal risk of
heart attack is low - this is a risk they will take in
order to get a drug which really does help them.
He added: "Which is worse - the pain
of the condition or the increased risk of heart problems?"
