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Biotech / Medical : Monsanto Co. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jopawa who wrote (755)	12/10/1998 2:26:00 PM
From: Joe Wesley	Respond to of 2539

John: I have few doubts both Celebrex and Vioxx can be blockbusters. My only question is has anyone seen whether Mr. Scolnick addressed edema in comparing the two drugs? Amateur

To: jopawa who wrote (755)	12/10/1998 2:34:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2539

John, I hardly think the FDA would give Vioxx a more favorable safety label without more follow-up aftermarket studies. Those analysts were buying into Scolnick's braggadocio. Are the safety data that much better? Would doctors switch their patients' prescriptions to Vioxx if they have no problem with Celebrex? It may be one or two years before we'll really know how much safer the Cox-2 inhibitors are when compared to NSAIDs. Also from a November Reuters article: Although there has been speculation about edema, or retention of fluid and swelling of ankles, as a side effect of Vioxx at the conference, these reports are unfounded, Seidenberg said. Less than 5 percent of patients had this side effect in Merck's two large studies of Vioxx in osteoarthritis or in its smaller study of the drug in rheumatoid arthritis patients, Seidenberg said. So it's still 4-5% of patients. Clelebrex data doesn't show this side effect. My comments are that of a layman. Medical professionals from this thread would I'm sure have a more accurate asessment of the truth of Merck's claims. BTW, I think MRK is a trading buy when it goes under $140.