| The first Celebrex class action suit to be filed is | | | | once the medication has been stopped. |
| believed to be the one submitted in Illinois, in | | | | It is a similar argument that has been used in |
| December 2004. That same month, Pfizer | | | | keeping Celebrex on the market - that the side |
| announced that a recently performed clinical trial | | | | effects encountered by some should not deny |
| revealed that those taking Celebrex were at | | | | others the benefits that the drug has to offer. |
| increased risk - over two times that incurred by | | | | Used commonly as an anti-inflammatory and |
| taking a placebo - of experiencing a major | | | | painkiller for conditions such as arthritis, it is |
| cardiovascular episode. It would seem that the | | | | understandable that this would be an attractive |
| Illinois class action suit will be only the first of | | | | drug to many. But surely not when the side |
| many. And yet Celebrex remains on the market. | | | | effect price is so high. |
| Most drugs that we take are liable to have a wide | | | | Rigorous clinical trials are performed on drugs |
| range of potential side effects, most of which the | | | | before they reach the marketplace, but even |
| majority of patients will never experience. For | | | | these cannot predict all the various implications of |
| liability purposes, pharmaceutical companies print all | | | | using a drug in longevity. But it seems that there |
| conceivable side effects on their informational | | | | are too many highly effective drugs available |
| literature, and reading these before taking a | | | | today that cause life threatening side effects - |
| medication can be a nerve-wracking affair. But | | | | Celebrex is only one of these. Patients surely |
| even side effects that have been encountered by | | | | must be asking themselves whether |
| minimal numbers of people during clinical trials can | | | | pharmaceutical companies are rushing apparently |
| find their way on to this literature, and while you | | | | effective drugs to the marketplace without |
| may be one of the unlucky ones whose painkiller | | | | ensuring that they are completely safe for |
| causes nausea, in most of these cases, the | | | | long-term use. Patients are responding in the only |
| potential benefits far outweigh the unlikely event | | | | way that can really touch these companies, in this |
| of developing a minor side effect that will cease | | | | case Pfizer: by filing Celebrex class action suits. |