BEXTRA

A widely prescribed osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis pain medication, BEXTRA was suspended from sale in April 2004, as mounting evidence indicated that there are serious problems with BEXTRA.

Classified as a NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug) and a COX-2 inhibitor, studies have shown that BEXTRA can provoke an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and Steven Johnson Syndrome--a serious multi-symptom illness causing great pain and suffering.

Other known side effects include anaphylactic reactions, angiodema, and other allergic skin reactions such as toxic epidermal necrolysis, exfoliative dermatitis and erythema multiforme.

Side Effects
The following reactions have been identified during post-marketing use of BEXTRA. These reactions have been chosen for inclusion either due to their seriousness, reporting frequency, possible causal relationship to BEXTRA, or a combination of these factors. Because these reactions were reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.

Heart Attacks Strokes Blood Clots

Steven Johnson Syndrome Hypersensitivity

The Risks Revealed
Recent reports show that BEXTRA may be more likely to cause heart attacks and strokes than Vioxx. A Pfizer study of more than 1,500 patients who had just had heart bypass surgery found that patients treated with BEXTRA for pain were more likely to have heart attacks, strokes and blood clots in the legs or lungs than others who took a placebo. BEXTRA is one of five drugs that FDA reviewer David Graham identified as unsafe at a Senate hearing on November 18, 2004.

In October of 2004, Pfizer announced at an American Heart Association meeting in New Orleans that two small clinical trials of BEXTRA showed heart bypass patients had an increased risk of stroke and heart attack. The company also said at the time it was adding a skin-related warning to the drug's packaging. The warning pertains to an illness called Stevens Johnson Syndrome, which is brought on by an extreme allergic reaction to chemicals. Taking Legal Action.

If you or a loved one have taken BEXTRA and experienced any of the following side effects, you may be entitled to substantial monetary compensation.

For more information call 212.605.6200 or email

Alan J. Konigsberg