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Recalled Arthritis Drug Bextra Linked with Heart Attack, Stroke, and Serious Skin Disease; Searcy Denney Attorneys Have Helped Many Victims Seek Justice

The story of the class of arthritis drugs called Cox-2 inhibitors is one of the most dramatic, and tragic, examples of big pharmaceutical companies putting their own profit before the health and safety of the public.

For several years, the Big Three of Celebrex, Vioxx, and Bextra were household words, celebrated for the “miraculous” pain relief they brought to arthritis sufferers and injury victims. Warnings surfaced early about the grave dangers of all three, especially Bextra. But FDA slaps on the wrist did little to deter aggressive marketing campaigns and consequent public consumption.

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For years, evidence mounted regarding substantial Bextra health risks of heart attacks, strokes, and a serious skin condition called Stevens Johnson Syndrome:

  • 2002 - Label warnings for Bextra were changed to indicate the possibility of severe skin reactions.
  • 2004 – The warning label was amended to reflect the death of patients from Bextra-induced Stevens Johnson Syndrome. Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a potentially-fatal disease caused by drug reactions, symptoms of which include severe pain and anxiety.
  • Fall 2004 - Only six months before Bextra was withdrawn, Pfizer issued a press release clearing Bextra of causing increased risks of cardiovascular thromboembolic events. Pfizer later acknowledged that this was false; the company’s own study in August 2004 linked Bextra with increased risk of heart attacks.
  • December 2004 - The New England Journal of Medicine published a Vanderbilt study indicating a heart attack risk increase of 300% for people taking Bextra.
  • January 2005 – An American Heart Association study associated Bextra with a 300% risk increase over placebo, identical to the Vanderbilt study results.
  • January 2005 – The consumer watchdog group Public Citizen filed a petition asking the FDA to remove both Bextra and Celebrex from the market.
  • February 2005 – A Wellpoint study noted that Bextra users had a 50% increase in risk of heart attacks and stroke.
  • April 2005 – Bextra was recalled from the market. 

Unfortunately, the sorry tale of Pfizer’s lies, an FDA Advisory Panel stacked with members on pharmaceutical industry payrolls, falsified data, and ignored warnings does not end with the 2005 Bextra recall. Although thousands of consumers of Cox-2 inhibitors have suffered, and many of them have died, just a few cases were being litigated before the recall – most of them involving Vioxx. Since 2005, however, hundreds of potential claims related to Bextra have surfaced in Florida alone, and victims and their families continue to come forward.

Contact us for more information and a free consultation with an experienced Florida Bextra lawyer.

If you or a loved one took Bextra and has suffered from heart attack, stroke, or Stevens Johnson Syndrome, the attorneys at Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley have a track record of litigating Bextra, Vioxx, and Celebrex cases and are available to consult with you regarding your potential Bextra claim. Please fill out our contact form, or call us to learn more and arrange for a confidential free consultation.

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