Questions raised by the Cox-2 inhibitor frenzy…

Cox-2 inhibitors continue to be at the forefront of the news, partly because of the huge economic impact that pulling them will have on some drug companies, partly because of the impact it will have on patients (they were generally prescribed for arthritis, but sometimes for headache), and partly because of the chance it gives us to look into the inner workings of how drugs are tested and promoted.

Many countries around the world have put out warnings about Cox-2 drugs as a class, restricted their use and or enforced new rules regarding what warnings must be on the labels.  It may be that in some places they will be banned altogether.  It will be interesting to see in the United States, for example, what the FDA decides.

Now that concerns have been brought to light, important questions are being asked that hopefully will not die out after this particular class of drugs is dealt with.  How does advertising effect the sale of a drug?  How and why should specific drugs be promoted to doctors?  How can drugs be trusted when so many studies are funded by the drug companies themselves?  What further testing should be required?

For us humble consumers, it highlights the need to be cautious about new drugs, to do our research, to ask questions, and to take warnings seriously.  Almost every drug has its drawbacks, and the same goes for many so called natural or non drug treatments.

For a little balance on the topic of Cox-2 inhibitors themselves, read this article from Dr Jasjit S. Bindra [link no longer available].  True, he himself is a former employee of the drug company Pfizer Inc., but he still makes some excellent points about the current state of research.