Drug In Same Class as Bextra and Vioxx Approved For Use in Children

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Pfizer has received federal approval to market Celebrex, its Cox-2 inhibiting painkiller, as a treatment for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). JRA affects tens of thousands of children, and other treatments have seen limited success or resulted in severe side effects.

The decision comes after FDA advisers recommended Nov. 29 the drug as an effective but not necessarily safe treatment for the autoimmune disease, but said that its benefits still outweigh any risks.

The FDA said it would require Pfizer to continue studying the safety of the drug in children, including its long-term effect on the kidneys, blood pressure and heart.

Celebrex is in the same class of drugs as Bextra and Vioxx and remains the only drug in its class still on the market.
Vioxx and Bextra were removed from shelves after they were linked to heart attacks and strokes in adults.