Correction to Differences in outcomes of patients with congestive heart failure prescribed celecoxib, rofecoxib, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: population based study

Correction to Risk of myocardial infarction in patients taking cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors or conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: population based nested case-control analysis

Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment. Please log in or subscribe below.

  1. Peter Jüni, senior research fellow in clinical epidemiology (juni@ispm.unibe.ch),
  2. Stephan Reichenbach,
  3. Matthias Egger, visiting professor of clinical epidemiology
  1. Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Berne, Finkenhubelweg 11, 3012 Berne, Switzerland
  2. Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Berne, 3010 Berne, Switzerland
  3. MRC Health Services Research Collaboration, Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PR

    Adverse event data from clinical trials must inform decision making

    These are trying times for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Worrying data about the drugs they regularly use keep emerging. In September 2004 rofecoxib (Vioxx) was withdrawn by Merck after the adenomatous polyp prevention on Vioxx (APPROVe)1 trial showed an increase in major cardiovascular events in patients with a history of colorectal adenomas who were randomised to receive Vioxx, compared with those in the placebo group.w1Rofecoxib had been marketed as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) of choice because selective inhibition of the isoform 2 of the cyclooxygenase (COX 2) enzyme made it highly effective but free from gastrointestinal toxicity.

    More unwelcome data from placebo controlled trials of rofecoxib's competitors followed: valdecoxib (Bextra, Pfizer) taken after coronary artery bypass grafting was shown to be associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular events2; and the adenoma prevention with celecoxib (APC) trial3 reported an increased risk of cardiovascular events associated with use of celecoxib (Celebrex, Pfizer), a drug known to be less selective …

    Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment

    Subscribe

    Article access

    Article access for 1 day

    Purchase this article for £20 $30 €32*

    The PDF version can be downloaded as your personal record

    * Prices do not include VAT

    Rapid responses

    THIS WEEK'S POLL

    BMJ most popular