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;330:9All rapid responses
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Is it me or is the rest of the medical world now totally confused by the panic around coxibs.
I may have missed something vital but my reading of the warning from the UK CSM is possibly the most unhelpful piece of advice for practising clinicians in many a year.
As I understand it the increased incidence of cardiovascular events was noted in a trial of a coxib used for prevention of colorectal cancer. 2 other trials cited involved using a coxib for cancer and one for prevention of AlzHeimers disease.
So how comparable are these populations to those of the usual group i.e. patients with inflammatory joint disease?
The CSM has not advised withdrawal of a particular drug. But it then suggests that patients with cardiovascular disease be not given the drug and its e mail to GPs told them that other patients were (surprise, surprise) told to go and talk to their GP.
So this is Evidence Based Medicine is it!
Competing interests: My wife has Rheumatoid Arthritis
Competing interests: No competing interests
Dear Sir,
"To know how to say what others only know how to think is what makes men poets and sages; and to dare to say what others only dare to think makes men martyrs or reformers or both," wrote Elizabeth Charles. I wonder why the watch dog bodies do not dare to ask the company to withdraw the drug where a reputed National Institute research has shown it in bad light in the first place. The number of people who got heart attacks and strokes due to the drug are only statistics for the company but they are a one hundred per cent loss to their near and dear ones. Why have we forgotten the golden rule in medicine-Primum Non Nocere?
How could we rely on company sponsored research when we know what the drug companies do with their research data? Marcia Angell, the former editor in chief of NEJM, did not write that beautiful book THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DRUG COMPANIES-HOW THEY DECEIVE US AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT for nothing. The real face of a drug is shown only on long term studies as time evolution in a dynamic system does not depend on this kind of controlled studies demanded of the drug companies prior to the sale of any new molecule. So none of these new revelations surprise me. I am only surprised at medical scientists who refuse to see the writing on the wall that a dynamic organism does not follow the linear laws. I keep reiterating this time and again but have not been able to make an impact on the scientific powers that be. "You don't learn to hold your own in the world by standing on guard, but by attacking, and getting well hammered yourself," wrote George Bernard Shaw years ago. So life goes on and drug companies make hey when the sun keeps shining on them only, while he provokes tsunami waves in the world of the hapless sick populace. yours ever, bmhegde
Competing interests: Interested in human welfare and correct science.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Use of Celebrex
Having read some of the articles, I am confused as to whether celebrex has been banned in any countries or whether prescription remains at the physician's discretion.
Competing interests: None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests