Celebrex found to be safe for cirrhosis patients

Pfizer, the maker of celecoxib (or Celebrex), received some more good news from scientists on the safety of Celebrex for patients that suffer from cirrhosis of the liver. The study shows that Celebrex can be safely used for short periods of time in such patients. (Related article: Pfizer claims both Celebrex and Bextra are safe)

In the paper titled "Effects of celecoxib and naproxen on renal function in nonazotemic patients with cirrhosis and ascites," published in Hepatology Journal, the group of scientists Joan Clària, Jeffrey D. Kent, Marta López-Parra, Ginés Escolar, Luís Ruiz-del-Arbol, Pere Ginès, Wladimiro Jiménez, Boris Vucelic, and Vicente Arroyo compared Celebrex against naproxen (or Aleve) and placebo. They found that short-term prescription of Celebrex does not impair kidney function. Aleve, on the other hand, significantly inhibited platelet aggregation. (Related article: Aleve cardiovascular safety affirmed by FDA panel)

Readers may recall that while Celebrex has been found to have adverse side effects on the heart but in the COX-2 inhibitor drugs category, Celebrex was perceived as a relatively safer drug, according to the FDA panel that recently reviewed the available science in three days of hearings. While the panel recommended that Celebrex be allowed to stay on the market with a black box warning, this study is another indication that Cox-2 drugs like Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra do have small benefits for patients with very specific problems. (Related article: Making sense of FDA panel recommendations on Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra)

The Cox-2 inhibitor drugs block the Cox-2 enzyme in the body and scientists speculate that it is the main reason this class of drugs affects the heart through the changes it produces to substances involved in the initial stages of blood clotting and the body's response to blood clots. But this study shows that this same mechanism apparently helps people with liver problems.

Celebrex is not totally out of the woods yet. MedSafe, the Ministry of Health in New Zealand, has essentially banned all Cox-2 drugs including Celebrex, Bextra, Dynastat, Arcoxia, and Mobic. Similar steps have already been taken in the European Union and Australia.

The study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and Pfizer/Pharmacia.

Recommended article: Vioxx sales may resume in the US


Useful links:
Hepatology
Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología
Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Medsafe