British scientists call for more studies of anti-inflammatory drugs linked to heart attacks, like Vioxx, but say the drugs may be best for arthritis.
Researchers at the Imperial College London and Queen Mary, University of London, said the drugs, called COX-2 inhibitors, may also be safer than the older drugs used before the Vioxx class was developed.
In an article in the January issue of Nature Reviews of Drug Discovery, the researchers reported a review of more than a hundred studies found COX-2 inhibitors had fewer side effects than older non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs.
Professor Jane Mitchell of Imperial College said NSAIDs increased the risk of gastric ulcers and bleeding, which might be worse for arthritis patients than the cardiovascular risk posed by COX-2 inhibitors.
She also said there wasn't enough research on NSAIDs to verify the extent of the negative side effects and called for more research on both NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors.
© Copyright 2006 by United Press International
