Pfizer to Finance Long-Term Safety Study of Celebrex

Pfizer, maker of the only remaining COX-2 inhibitor on the market in the United States, has announced it will finance a long-term safety study of Celebrex. Patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease will be the focus of the large-scale study. The study will enroll patients with osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, who have known coronary heart disease or who have multiple risk factors for heart disease. Some patients with rheumatoid arthritis also will be included.

• The worldwide study has been named the PRECISION Trial – Prospective Randomized Evaluation of Celecoxib Integrated Safety vs. Ibuprofen or Naproxen.
• Enrollment is expected to take 18 months and will begin in 2006.
• Study participants will be randomly assigned to receive Celebrex, Motrin (Ibuprofen), or Aleve (Naproxen).
• Study participants will be followed for about two years.
• About 20,000 patients will be enrolled in the study.
• Dr. Steven E. Nissen and the Cleveland Clinic cardiovascular research center will coordinate the study.

Related Resources:

• More About COX-2 Inhibitors
• More About NSAIDs
• Cleveland Clinic Launches Large-Scale Global Trial to Examine Cardiovascular Safety of Popular Pain Relievers, from Cleveland Clinic Press Room