Bextra

Cellino & Barnes is no longer accepting Bextra cases.

Bextra Lawyer Helping Dangerous Drug Victims

Bextra is a cox-2 inhibitor drug manufactured by Pfizer. It was approved for use in the United States in November 2001. Along with other cox-2 inhibitors, such as Vioxx, Bextra was able to isolate the cox-2 enzyme produced by the body and could therefore provide the benefits of a traditional non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug without the gastric discomfort that came with most.

The recent withdrawal of Vioxx, has created great concern about the dangers of Bextra and other cox-2s. Vioxx, which was voluntarily recalled Merck, was found to result in an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients.

On December 9, 2004, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a "black box" warning needed to be placed on all packages and labels of Bextra. The new box warning in the label stated that some patients taking Bextra reported serious, potentially fatal skin reactions, including Steven-Johnson Syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. In addition to the skin reactions, the FDA also emphasized new data about risks to the heart.

On April 7, 2005 the FDA asked Pfizer, Inc. to withdraw Bextra from the market. The FDA's announcement stated:

After concluding that the overall risk versus benefit profile is unfavorable, the FDA has requested Pfizer, Inc. to voluntarily withdraw Bextra (valdecoxib) from the market. This request is based on:

The lack of adequate data on the cardiovascular safety of long-term use of Bextra, along with the increased risk of adverse cardiovascular (CV) events in short-term coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) trials that FDA believes may be relevant to chronic use.

Reports of serious and potentially life-threatening skin reactions, including deaths, in patients using Bextra. The risk of these reactions in individual patients is unpredictable, occurring in patients with and without a prior history of sulfa allergy, and after both short- and long-term use.

Lack of any demonstrated advantages for Bextra compared with other NSAIDs.

Bextra Side Effects

One serious and potentially lethal side effect of Bextra is known as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is a serious and possibly deadly skin disease. With Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, the skin and mucus membranes become severely inflamed. Another known skin-related side effect is Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis. This is another serious skin problem, where the skin experiences severe reddening and peeling. In addition to these serious side effects to the skin, other potential risks include allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock.

There are other Bextra side effects in addition to the rare ones mentioned above. These include:

Indigestion and abdominal pains
Nausea
Diarrhea
Headaches
Discolored or bloody stools
Weight gain
Jaundice
Flu-type symptoms
Bruising or bleeding
Water retention

Patients taking Bextra should seek medical assistance immediately if any of these symptoms present themselves.

If you think you or a loved one may have suffered an injury or damages as a result of taking Bextra, you owe it to yourself to speak to an attorney at Cellino & Barnes. We are experienced dangerous drug attorneys and we will thoroughly investigate your claim and bring a lawsuit where applicable to recover for your damages and injuries. Call Cellino & Barnes now at 1-800-621-2020 or contact us.

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