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Warnings issued over COX 2 inhibitors in US and UK

BMJ 2004; 330 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.330.7481.9-c (Published 30 December 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;330:9
  1. Scott Gottlieb
  1. New York

Warnings were issued last month about two COX 2 (cyclo-oxygenase-2) inhibitors because of fears that they might increase the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes.

Celecoxib (Celebrex) showed an increased risk of cardiovascular events in a long term study (sponsored by the US National Cancer Institutes) that looked at use of the drug for prevention of colon cancer.

Patients in the five year trial taking 400 mg/day or 800 mg/day of celecoxib had, respectively, a 2.5-fold and 3.4-fold increased risk of a major cardiovascular event compared with placebo. The Food and Drug Administration and the National Cancer …

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