Opinion - Coxibs: can this class of drugs survive?

Reza Tabrizchi

Division of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial
University of Newfoundland, St John’s, NL, Canada

The sudden voluntary withdrawal of rofecoxib (Vioxx), a “selective” cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox-2) inhibitor, by Merck & Co on September 30, 2004, as a result of its adverse cardiovascular effects (Couzin 2004), begs the question as to whether this toxicity is a class effect. There is little doubt that toxicity associated with a drug can permeate and have a devastating effect on the clinical use of the entire class to which the drug belongs, unless the nature of that toxicity is clearly defined and characterized in a transparent fashion within the scientific community. In this particular case, the jury is still out. However, unless this class of drugs is used appropriately and wisely, it will not survive.