The promise of Bextra

Bextra was created in the late 1990s by the G.D Searle & Co. division of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals for the handling of arthritis, inflammation, and painful menstrual cramping without the risk of severe stomach irritation. Clinical tests of arthritis patients over six months showed the relative safety of Bextra, and it was approved by the FDA on November 16, 2001. Bextra became one of the best selling drugs on the market, with sales in the tens of billions of dollars. Doctors were happy with the low percentage of stomach irritation, and patients were pleased with the boost in quality of life that these alleged "wonder drugs" provided. However, concerns about Bextra's role in heart attacks, strokes, and dangerous skin reactions caused the FDA to ask manufacturer Pfizer to stop selling the drug in April, 2005.