Findings from COX 2 studies are released

Results from recent studies that raised concerns about the cardiovascular safety of cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX 2) inhibitors have been made available early, in advance of hearings on the drug class by the US Food and Drug Administration.

All the studies have been published online in the New England Journal of Medicine (http://nejm.org/), and the journal lifted its normal embargo date for the studies because of what it described as the “possible public health implications.”

The results come immediately before a three-day hearing looking into the benefits and risks of COX 2 inhibitors …