NEW YORK, Sept 30 (AFP) - Pfizer said Thursday it was "confident" about the safety of its arthritis treatment Celebrex hours after rival Merck announced a worldwide withdrawal of its blockbuster drug Vioxx.
"Pfizer is confident in the long-term cardiovascular safety of Celebrex," said Joe Feczko, Pfizer's president of worldwide development, adding that a US government-sponsored study of 1.4 million patients showed "no increased risk of cardiac events" linked to Celebrex.
Earlier in the day, Merck said it was halting sales of Vioxx, used in more than 80 countries with annual sales of some 2.5 billion dollars, after a study showed it increased the risk for strokes and heart attacks.
Pfizer said Celebrex was the first COX-2 inhibitor, a treatment designed to relieve pain without the gastrointestinal side effects associated with older anti-inflammatory medicines.
"Patients taking COX-2 inhibitors may be confused and should speak with their doctors," Feczko said. "Because of its outstanding long-term safety profile and broad indication base including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and acute pain, Celebrex is an appropriate treatment alternative."