We can, however, learn something about the welfare effects of advertising by examining its effect on delay to treatment for patients that are likely to benefit from, or be poor candidates for,
COX-2 inhibitor use.
Recipients with low to moderate risk for serious GI events were not allowed to receive a
COX-2 inhibitor under the PAR program.
However,
COX-2 inhibitors have been linked to a heightened risk of heart problems (SN: 10/30/04, p.
Even though the entire class carries a black-box warning about cardiovascular events, panelists said there were still not enough data on whether traditional NSAIDs or the only other
COX-2 inhibitor on the market, Celebrex (celecoxib, Pfizer), raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.
This may seem onerous considering that
Cox-2 inhibitors have typically been prescribed for the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and are mainly used by the elderly, a population exhibiting risk factors for injuries attributed to
Cox-2 inhibitor use: heart attacks and strokes.
The latest study showed that, as expected,
COX-2 inhibitors doubled the risk of an attack - but so did the two non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.
As of late March 40,000 Americans used Pfizer Inc.'s Bextra, another
COX-2 inhibitor, every week.
Don't write off the entire
COX-2 inhibitor class of drugs, says Dr.
Bextra is a
COX-2 inhibitor, a class of drugs that blocks the COX-2 enzyme and reduces pain and swelling, like that caused by arthritis.
Meanwhile,
COX-2 inhibitor makers received good news in February when a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel concluded that the items' benefits outweighed their risks.
Celebrex, another
COX-2 inhibitor, is marketed by Pfizer.