Previous research suggesting that a COX-2 inhibitor painkiller had fewer stomach side effects than traditional drugs such as ibuprofen was flawed. There is more uncertainty about COX-2 inhibitors than is presently acknowledged.
It was hoped that COX-2-inhibitors would help patients avoid stomach problems linked to the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), a class of drugs that includes aspirin and ibuprofen. Such drugs are used to treat chronic illness, such as arthritis, but can cause gastrointestinal problems including ulcers and bleeding.
Traditional NSAIDs block two enzymes, COX-1 and COX-2; however, COX-1 helps protect the stomach lining. Selective blocking of COX-2, in theory, would improve arthritis pain without robbing the stomach of the protective COX-1.
That was the belief, at least. Then in September 2000, The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published findings from a new study that appeared to show that patients taking Celebrex did, indeed, have fewer stomach side effects that those who took NSAIDs.
Out of 8,000 patients with arthritis, those on Celebrex had a 52% to 65% lower risk of gastrointestinal problems than did those on either ibuprofen or another NSAID called Cataflam. Overall, 1.4% of patients on those NSAIDs suffered ulcer symptoms compared with less than 1% of those taking Celebrex.
Now an editorial in the British Medical Journal highlights the fact that the original study contained significant design flaws: it combined findings from two separate studies, and included results from only the first 6 months of data, whereas the studies collected data for a total of 12 and 15 months.
When data from the entire study period were analyzed, Celebrex appears to produce no fewer ulcer complications than the two NSAIDs. There is currently no evidence to support the notion that Celebrex leads to less ulcer-related complications in the long-term than traditional NSAIDs.
Furthermore, the entire data were available when the authors of the September article submitted the manuscript.
Data from the entire studies were later submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and criticisms of the JAMA paper appeared in the Washington Post in August 2001, and in two letters published in JAMA in November of that year.
Based on this data, the FDA still requires that the drug label carry a warning about potential gastrointestinal side effects. A competitor, Vioxx, has dropped this warning as studies have shown it does have fewer gastrointestinal side effects than other NSAIDs.
Experts are concerned that many doctors may have missed these and other subsequent attempts to clarify the original study findings on Celebrex, and may still consider the first report to be fully accurate.
British Medical Journal June 1, 2002;324:1287-1290 (Full Text Article Link)
Finally, one of the top journals in the world is picking up on this issue.
Ok, folks, here are three questions for today:
1. Who makes Celebrex? If you answered Pharmacia, you are correct. 2. What else does Pharmacia own? Pharmacia Corporation was created in April 2000 through the merger of Pharmacia & Upjohn with Monsanto Company and its G.D. Searle unit. Pharmacia employs 59,000 people worldwide and has research, manufacturing and administrative sales operations in more than 60 countries. 3. So, Pharmacia owns Monsanto. Now, what does Monsanto do or make? If you answered Round Up Insecticide, the controller of nearly all genetically modified seeds, you answered correctly.
1. Who makes Celebrex?
If you answered Pharmacia, you are correct.
2. What else does Pharmacia own?
Pharmacia Corporation was created in April 2000 through the merger of Pharmacia & Upjohn with Monsanto Company and its G.D. Searle unit. Pharmacia employs 59,000 people worldwide and has research, manufacturing and administrative sales operations in more than 60 countries.
3. So, Pharmacia owns Monsanto. Now, what does Monsanto do or make?
If you answered Round Up Insecticide, the controller of nearly all genetically modified seeds, you answered correctly.
Here we see a MAJOR integrity glitch in a company that essentially did not tell the full story. They lied to us so their drug would have favorable reviews in JAMA and they could make more money. Don't you find it interesting that Pharmacia, the drug's manufacturer, can not even prove that this new drug is any less damaging than aspirin? Causing less GI toxicity is supposed to be the huge advantage of this drug.
Can you really trust a company that would do this? Can you really believe that the GMO plants they are introducing are any different?
Folks, this is a huge problem. Only recently did I realize Monsanto is owned by Pharmacia. I have always been very concerned about the GMO issue, but in light of this new information, I truly believe we need to be especially vigilant about these foods.
I talked about Celebrex before (February 2001) when this issue first hit the FDA panel. Because Celebrex is the number one anti-inflammatory drug, the false claims unveiled in this study are important information. Many people take this drug under the impression that it will reduce their risk of ulcers.
The market for analgesics is about TEN BILLION dollars per year. That is one big number, and the reason it is an important drug to watch. You need to remember that anytime you are dealing with that much money, there will inevitably be corruption, greed and negative influences.
So ALWAYS be alert to deception. As one of my friends, Dr. Tom Stone, is fond of saying "The PLANET is RULED by GREED and DECEIT!"
Note: Celebrex has also been shown to reduce beneficial protaglandins and increase your risk for heart attack.
Related Articles:
Drug Company Lies About Celebrex in JAMA Another "Nail in the Coffin" for Daily Aspirin Use Celebrex Not Shown to Lower Ulcer Risk How Vioxx and Celebrex Increase Your Risk of Heart Attack
Drug Company Lies About Celebrex in JAMA
Another "Nail in the Coffin" for Daily Aspirin Use
Celebrex Not Shown to Lower Ulcer Risk
How Vioxx and Celebrex Increase Your Risk of Heart Attack