Bextra Lawyer Information and Attorney Legal Guide

Bextra Lawyer Information and Attorney Legal Guide

Bextra Alert – Bextra Has Been Recalled

Bextra, the drug chemically known as valdecoxib, is a COX-2 Inhibitor drug used primarily to alleviate the painful inflammation common to many forms of arthritis. Like similar medications Vioxx and Celebrex, it is designed to reduce pain, swelling, and fever without irritating the stomach and lower digestive tract like aspirin and other NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs).

NSAIDs work by effectively blocking a chemical in the body called cyclooxygenase, of which there are two main derivatives. Cyclooxygenase-1, or COX-1, shields the stomach from the harsh hydrochloric acid it contains, and Cyclooxygenase-2, or COX-2, is found in inflamed tissues and causes the pain of fever, infection, and arthritis. The drugs were effective for alleviating the pain and inflammation but the relief benefits were limited because the traditional NSAIDs caused stomach irritation. Taking an NSAID like aspirin caused discomfort because it blocked both chemicals, relieving pain but also disabling the stomach protection of COX-1.

Ever since the development of aspirin and ibuprofen, medical science has searched for a way to provide safe and non-addictive pain and fever relief without the high risk of serious gastrointestinal damage common to all NSAIDs. Hope was offered in the late 1990s when scientists isolated the protein cyclooxygenase-2 from cyclooxygenase-1 and created drugs to selectively block COX-2 without interfering with COX-1.

When COX-2 Inhibitors like Bextra were introduced, they delivered on the promise to relieve the pain of inflammation-related conditions like arthritis without causing significant stomach damage. The new class of drugs quickly became the biggest selling pain relievers in the world, with sales in the tens of billions of dollars. Unfortunately, clinical trials began to warn about potential risk of increased cardiovascular trauma due to the disruption by COX-2 drugs of the way that the kidneys regulate blood pressure after they filter out impurities. Also, these drugs sometimes caused blood clots to form in arteries, which often lead to stroke and heart attack. Even though studies had documented the risks, doctors continued to prescribe Bextra in larger and larger quantities.

Bextra is particularly dangerous because not only does it pose the heart attack and stroke risks common to other COX-2 Inhibitors, it endangers patients undergoing post-operative recovery for heart surgery. Furthermore, patients taking Bextra face an increased risk of developing several potentially fatal skin allergies called Stevens-Johnson syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Syndrome. After much internal review, the Food and Drug Administration re-evaluated the “risk-versus-benefit profile” used to determine the worth of a drug, and asked the pharmaceutical company Pfizer to remove Bextra from American and European markets on April 7, 2005.

Tragically, significant damage has already been done. Millions of people who trusted Bextra now are forced to live in fear, anxiety, and pain because of the sometimes catastrophic consequences that their medication has now been known to cause. If you've suffered from these kinds of dangerous and potentially fatal side effects, you have a right to seek compensation for your physical and emotional anguish. If you are one of the millions of people who took Bextra, consult your doctor immediately in order to assess any damage to your health, although never abruptly stop taking a prescribed drug without a physician's supervision. Another important step is to seek the guidance of dedicated lawyer to help you get the answers and compensation you deserve. You are entitled to help - contact a Bextra lawyer today.