1
CElEBrAtE.CElEBrAtE. physiCiAns ArE DElightED with A FooD AnDDrugADministrAtion (FDA、ADvisory pAnEl’s rECommEnDAtion EArliEr this yEAr thAt vioxx AnD its CousinsBExtrA AnDCElEBrEx (All mEDiCinEs known AsCox-2 inhiBitors) shoulD rEmAin on thE mArkEt, DE spitE EviDEnCE thEy inCrEAsE hEArt DisEAsE risk in somE pEoplE. thE pAnElists rEAChED thEir DECision AFtEr wEighing All thE DAtA AnD ConCluDing thE BEnEFits oF thEsE pAin-rEliEving Drugs outwEighED thE risks.
spECiFiCAlly, thEsE sCiEntists ACknowlEDgED thAt, For somE pAtiEnts, thEsE prEsCrip tion Drugs wErE uniquEly EFFECtivE in rEDuCing pAin From Arthritis AnD othEr CAusEs. For oth Ers-ConCErnED ABout ulCErs AssoCiAtED with Aspirin AnD othEr otC、AnAlgEsiCs—thECox-2 inhiBitors oFFErED thE ADvAntAgE oF minimizing potEntiAlly sErious EFFECts oF stomACh irritA tion.
now is An AppropriAtE timE For EvEryonE to tAkE A FrEsh look At thE BEnEFit-risk EquA tion For vioxx AnD thE othErCox-2 inhiBitors.
thE risks—inCrEAsED risk oF hEArt DisEAsE in somE who usE thE Drugs—hAvE BEEn wEll puBliCizE
D、muCh lEss puBliCity hAs BEEn givEn to A spECtrum oF rEAl AnD potEntiAl BEnEFits thAt go wAy BEyonD rEDuCED risk oF stomACh irritAtion. thEsE littlE-DisCussED BEnEFits woulD hAvE BEEn lost, pErhAps pErmAnEntly--hAD vioxx,BExtrA AnDCElEBrEx BEEn DrivEn From shElvEs in pursuit oF pErFECt sAFEty, An unAttAinABlE goAl.
For ExAmplE, thErE is suBstAntiAl EviDEnCECox-2 inhiBitors CAn rEDuCE DEvElopmEnt oF Colon polyps, whiCh mAy BEComE Colon CAnCEl inDEE
D、CElEBrEx is FDA-ApprovED For thosE gEnEtiCAlly pronE to Colon CAnCEr. ironiCAlly, thE 2004 stuDy thAt rEvEAlED thE ElEvAtED hEArt AttACk risk oF vioxx wAs primArily DEsignED to FurthEr EstABlish thE Drug’s EFFECtivE nEss in protECting AgAinst Colon CAnCEr.AnD whilE thE rEsults oF thAt intErruptED triAl hAvE not yEt BEEn puBlishED, thErE is gooD rEAson to BEliEvE thEy will ConFirm thE protECtivE EFFECts AgAinst Colon CAnCEr EstABlishED in rEsEArCh ovEr thE lAst 10 yEArs.
At thE timE oF its withDrAwAl From thE mArkEt lAst FAll, stuDiEs oF vioxx As wEll As thE othErCox-2 Drugs suggEstED thEy hAD othEr Anti-CAnCEr propErtiEs As wEll, possiBly rEDuC ing thE risk oF mAlignAnCiEs oF A numBEr oF sitEs, inCluDing thE lung AnD EsophAgus.
hAD thEsE Drugs BEEn DismissED, thEir untAppED promisE For prEvEntion woulD hAvE EvAporAtED wEll BEForE it wAs EvAluAtED AnD AppliED to sAvE livEs. FortunAtEly, CoolEr AnD wisEr hEADs prEvAilE
D、
thE possiBlE BEnEFits oFCox-2 inhiBitors______.A．CoulD hArDly outwEigh thEir risks
B、shoulD BE thoroughly stuDiED
C．will show in Curing stomAChAChEs
D、mAy wEll BE FounD in A muCh wiDEr ArEA