Bextra recall no more, Pfizer says

So while Merck has been shouting almost from the day of Vioxx recall that it wants to bring the drug back on the market, it appears that it is not alone. Now Pfizer, the maker of now recalled Bextra and Celebrex (which is still on the market but carries a strong black box warning), is also joining the game. The company says in a statement that "Pfizer continues to believe that Bextra could be an important treatment option for certain patient populations. In the future, the company plans to discuss options with the FDA under which Bextra might be made available to those patients."

While no accurate estimates are available for deaths from Bextra and Celebrex, it is estimated that as many as 50,000 Americans are dead after taking Vioxx and there are as many as 140,000 personal injuries from Vioxx. (Related article: Merck sold Vioxx ruthlessly prior to recall)

At this point there is a lot more information is available on the dangerous side effects of Cox-2 drugs that include Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra and others. It is, therefore, highly unlikely that any drug agency worldwide will let the drugs back on the market (FDA may be the only exception since it typically favors the drug industry rather than American people). (Related article: Vioxx and Bextra recalls have made drug approval agencies worldwide more cautious)

But it is also possible that both Merck and Pfizer may very well know the uphill task that they would face not only from the regulators but also from the patients. Statements like this may simply be designed to further their claims that the drugs that they manufactured are essentially "safe" and that is why all the personal injury lawsuits should, therefore, be dismissed.

There is also a lot of resistance from physicians on prescribing dangerous drugs like Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra. Primary care physicians anticipate substantial changes in their prescribing practices and in patient receptiveness to all types of drug therapy since the withdrawal of COX-2 Inhibitor drugs, Vioxx and Bextra, according to a recent survey conducted by National Analysts, a leading market research firm that consults to the pharmaceutical industry. Two of three physicians plan to be more conservative in adopting new drugs that come to market. One in three physicians predicts that patients will be more likely to abandon current therapies because of heightened concerns about drug safety. (Related article: Will you take Vioxx or Bextra on their return?)

In the meantime both Pfizer and Merck continue their legal battle with drug users worldwide. The State of Oregon, which restricted rights of Oregon residents to sue drugmakers, is going ahead with legislation that will make it easier to sue Merck and Pfizer. Similarly, a group called Drug Industry Immunity Must End in Michigan is working to bring a legislation that would allow state residents to sue drugmakers that make dangerous drugs.

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National Analysts