Reflections on the withdrawal of rofecoxib : editorial

Extracted from text ... CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF SOUTH AFRICA Vol 16, No. 1, January/February 2005 5 Reflections on the withdrawal of rofecoxib And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. John Donne Rofecoxib was launched in 1999. Rofecoxib, a cyclooxygenase- 2-specific (COX-2) inhibitor, revolutionised the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment of rheumatoid arthritis because its use was associated with a significantly lower incidence of gastro-intestinal bleeding than when using a conventional NSAID, naproxen. This was shown in the VIGOR (VIOXX Gastrointestinal Outcomes Research) trial.1 Very soon, another COX-2 inhibitor, celecoxib, made its commercial appearance and it has ..