Merck Says Trial Shows Vioxx Better For Pain
Updated 6:41 AM ET June 9, 1999
LONDON (Reuters) - U.S.
drug group Merck & Co said
Wednesday that results of the
first head-to head trial of its new
analgesic Vioxx showed
superiority in three areas over its
major rival, Monsanto Co's Celebrex.
The company said in a statement that in trials on relief of acute
pain following dental surgery, Vioxx had faster onset of action
-- 30 minutes compared to one hour -- and "significantly
better" peak efficacy.
The company said the trial also showed that pain relief after a
single dose of Vioxx lasted 24 hours compared to five hours
for Celebrex.
A spokeswoman for Monsanto's pharmaceutical unit Searle
said the company would issue a response to the findings later
Wednesday.
Vioxx was cleared for sale in the UK on June 8, the first
European Union market to approve the product, and was
approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on May
20.
IMS Health figures published Tuesday showed doctors in the
U.S. wrote 4,797 prescriptions for Vioxx in its first ten days on
sale, compared with 3,231 prescriptions for Celebrex in the
first ten days following its launch in January. Celebrex is being
co-marketed by Pfizer Inc.
Both drugs are part of a new class of pain relievers known as
Cox-2 inhibitors, which block an enzyme linked to
inflammation.
The main target market for both products, which have been
dubbed "super aspirins," is relief of pain caused by arthritis.
The great hope of Cox-2 inhibitors is that they will alleviate
much of the gastro-intestinal side effects, including ulcers,
linked to existing pain killers such as ibuprofen.
Merck said although the incidence of gastro-intestinal
complications in patients treated with Vioxx had been
minimized, "the risk has probably not been completely
eliminated."
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