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news.Canada's healthcare regulator has ruled that Pfizer's Bextra should not be allowed back into the Canadian market because of the increased risk of cardiovascular problems associated with the painkilling medication.
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Pfizer voluntarily pulled Bextra from the Canadian market in April 2005 upon the request of Health Canada. Despite disagreeing with the regulators position on the risk/benefit profile of the drug, the company has now been informed that it will not be able to return its product to Canadian shelves.
The company also withdrew the drug from European and US markets amid the safety concerns. The drug is a cox-2 inhibitor of the same type as Merck & Co’s withdrawn arthritis drug Vioxx which has been linked to serious cardiovascular adverse events.
In a statement, Pfizer Canada said: “There are more than four million Canadians who suffer from arthritis. Bextra is an important treatment option for them and Pfizer believes it should continue to be available for those patients who could benefit from it.”