| Bextra was developed in the late 1990s by the G.D Searle & Co. division of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of arthritis, inflammation, and painful menstrual cramping without the risk of severe stomach irritation caused by traditional Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). Clinical trials of 7300 arthritis patients over six months demonstrated the relative safety of Bextra, and it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on November 16, 2001. Bextra soon became one of the biggest selling COX-2 Inhibitors on the market, quickly tallying sales in the tens of billions of dollars. Doctors were pleased with the low occurrence of stomach irritation, and patients were pleased with the increase of the quality of life that these alleged “wonder drugs” provided.
Then on October 15, 2004, the FDA warned of dangerous complications in patients who took Bextra directly after heart surgery. Furthermore, in November of that year, the American Heart Association released the results of its own clinical trials, revealing Bextra had increased the risk of heart attack and stroke by 2.2% in 5930 patients over 12 tests. A prominent FDA reviewer declared that Bextra was among five different drugs deemed “unsafe” to prescribe.
After careful examination of the risk of not only heart attack and stroke but also the occurrence of potentially fatal allergic skin reactions, the FDA re-evaluated the risk-versus-benefit ratio used to determine the worth of the a drug, and on April 7, 2005, the agency asked Pfizer to remove Bextra from American and European markets. Widespread prescriptions of Bextra had already caused significant damage, and many victims of the drug’s side effects have continued to suffer from the terrible consequences of this lack of foresight.
If you are one of the millions who took Bextra, call your doctor without delay. The side effects of the medication may take some time to appear, and the earlier that treatment is administered, the better the outcome for the patient. If you feel that you've been a victim of these types of dangerous side effects, contact an experienced Bextra lawyer who can help you fight for what you deserve.
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