Celebrex and Bextra maker Pfizer Inc. has begun to settle injury claims against the painkillers. It is estimated that between 7,000 and 9,000 Celebrex and Bextra cases have been filed by people who claim the defective painkillers caused heart attacks and strokes. According to a report in Friday’s Wall Street Journal, lawyers representing Pfizer have indicated the company is willing to pay as much as $500 million to resolve all outstanding cases.
Celebrex and Bextra are COX-2 inhibitors, a class of drugs that also includes Merck’s recalled Vioxx. Such medications are linked to an increased risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. Pfizer withdrew Bextra from the market in 2005, and Celebrex is the only COX-2 inhibitor still on the market in the United States.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Pfizer has reached settlements with three law firms representing more than 200 of the thousands who sued over the drugs. Firms have been offered $40,000 to $50,000 a client to resolve Celebrex cases and as much as $200,000 a client for Bextra. The Wall Street Journal reported that unlike Merck’s recent mass settlement of litigation involving Vioxx, Pfizer is attempting to resolve its Bextra and Celebrex lawsuits on a firm-by-firm basis.
Celebrex carries the Food and Drug Administration’s strictest “black-box” warning on its drug label, stating that it may cause an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. Despite its apparent risk, Celebrex continued to generate $2.3 billion in sales in 2007, a 12 percent increase from the previous year.
Last month, the National Cancer Institute released an analysis of six Celebrex studies that included 7,950 patients. According to The Wall Street Journal, the analysis showed Celebrex was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, heart failure or thromboembolic event, or events related to blood clots, compared to patients not taking the drug. The researchers found that patients receiving the highest dose of Celebrex of 400 milligrams twice daily had a nearly three times higher risk of heart attacks and strokes than patients not taking the drug. Patients taking a lower dose of Celebrex, 400 milligrams once daily, had a 10% higher risk of a cardiovascular event. The study did not look at patients taking a once-daily, 200-milligram dose of Celebrex, which represents the way the drug is most commonly prescribed.
The first Bextra trial was due to begin today in federal court in San Francisco. But a lawyer involved in the case told The Wall Street Journal that the parties agreed to adjourn the case so Pfizer could attempt to settle Celebrex and Bextra cases across the country.
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May 19th, 2009 at 6:50 am
Very bad stomach pains
May 31st, 2009 at 8:49 am
I AM WRITING BC I AM NOT SURE IF I AM ABLE TO GET IN THE LAW SUIT I WAS ON THE CELEBREX IN 2005 FOR A LONG TIME AND THE ONLY THING THAT HAD HAPPEMED TO ME IS I HAVE IRREGULAR OR WHAT THEY CALL AN EXTRA HEARTBEAT THAT I DIDN’T HAVE BEFORE UNTIL TAKING IT BUT THE DOCTOR SAID THAT WOULD NOT CAUSE IT SO IF U CAN HELP PLEASE LET ME KNOW THANK YOU ..MICHELLE CRANK
June 1st, 2009 at 10:27 am
I am sending this email to state that in the time of taking celebrex, since 2003, I had recently experience a severe rash over my entire body, having to go to a specialist. I had a biopsy and skin culture done and was told that it was due to taking celebrex.
Do I qualify for being a part of the settlement suit, and although I have health insurance, my co-pay is still aroung $70 dollars.
Thank you,
June 5th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Me And My wife were prescribed celebrex at this time period
June 8th, 2009 at 3:11 am
I took Bextra around Aug ‘04 when I first saw an orthopedic Dr for Knee problems. (torn miniscus) Right Knee. It was a good help to me. Since I could no longer get it My Dr ordered Mobic for the arthritis pain.
June 8th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Have taken celebrfexfor 6 years and my doctorsuggesgted that I quit as I have been having a heart problem
June 12th, 2009 at 6:05 am
i was on celebrex for a long time do i quilify for this action or do u have to have heart problems from it
June 19th, 2009 at 4:52 am
I have taken Bextra Celebrex and vioxx I still have stomach problem and can verify the Doctor that precribe then to me i have chronic arthits befor i had sugery i was taken these pill for about four years i still have some but don’t take them i have itching on my back
June 23rd, 2009 at 10:38 pm
I am awaiting the Bextra settlement in my case, I suffered a Heart attack AT 46 due to a blocked artery attributable to long term use of vioxx, and Bextra- esp since my Dr. had me taking twice the normal doseage of Bextra. I think that unless you had something occur due to the meds and got “IN” before they closed the date for filing a claim- you are TOO LATE. Also they weren’t taking claims lightly, they had to be DOCUMENTED by medical evidence.I have been waiting since 2004…and they “SAY” I could see something soon from the settlement…but how much is anyone’s guess. Last suit I was a part of- was a $22 mil GM suit for xbody cars with defective brakes…after a 2 year wait, I rec’d my share of the suit- $53.50. Don’t hold your breath folks….