What Doctors Don't Tell YouHere’s an update for readers who read last week’s bulletin item about the FDA’s unexpected decision to allow the discredited COX-2 drug Vioxx back on the market after the manufacturer had voluntarily withdrawn it.
We were wondering how they arrived at the decision, and discovered that the manufacturer was going to blow the whistle on the other COX-2 drugs that were still on the market.
Now we hear that 10 of the 32 people sitting on the advisory panel have financial ties to one or more of the drug companies that manufacture the group of drugs, which also include Celebrex and Bextra. According to public records, the 10 members had recently consulted with the drug companies.
Of the 10, eight said their ties did not influence their votes – which proves there are at least two honest men on the panel. But had they not voted, the panel would have voted 12 to 8 to withdraw Bextra, and by 14 to 8 to keep Vioxx off the market. However, 9 of the 10 voted to keep Bextra on the market, and to bring back Vioxx.
It has been estimated that Vioxx alone has been responsible for 55,000 deaths, and there are serious concerns about the safety of the other COX-2 drugs.
Daniel Redwood DC
Tom Ferguson MD
