PEI lags in drug approvals

The Arthritis Society is campaigning to raise the profile of arthritis patients during the upcoming provincial election in Prince Edward Island. Notably, they point to how long it takes the provincial drug plan to approve drugs: approvals for biologics lag behind other provinces, and even Celebrex isn't covered. Don't miss the boneheaded responses from the provincial parties that sidestep the question and talk about disease prevention and lifestyle choices: when you've got an inflammatory autoimmune disease, it's already too late for that, and you don't catch what we have from eating too many Ding-Dongs, you assclowns.

Celebrex approved for AS in Britain

As a result, I think, of the European Union's approval of Celebrex (celecoxib) to treat ankylosing spondylitis, the drug has now been granted a label extension for treating AS in the UK, Pfizer announced in a media release yesterday.

Arcoxia approval rejected by FDA panel

More bad news for Merck: an FDA panel voted against approving Arcoxia (etoricoxib), a COX-2 inhibitor touted as a successor to Vioxx: "Expressing concern over the cardiac safety of Arcoxia, the FDA panel voted 20 to 1, opposing the approval of the drug." The FDA's final decision comes on April 27.

Previously: Arcoxia better than naproxen?

Jury awards $47.5 million in Vioxx lawsuit

In November 2005 I referred to a Vioxx lawsuit that Merck won in New Jersey. A superior court judge granted the plaintiffs -- Frederick "Mike" Humeston and his wife Mary, of Idaho -- a new trial based on new evidence about the risks of short-term Vioxx use, and today the jury in the second trial returned a very different outcome from the first trial: they awarded the Humestons a total of $47.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages. AP story: Business Week; Houston Chronicle; Wired. Merck is facing 28,000 lawsuits over Vioxx (half of them in New Jersey), and they're fighting them one by one; they say they'll appeal.

Celebrex approved for AS in Europe

Meanwhile, an announcement that will no doubt amuse those of you who've been using it to treat your ankylosing spondylitis for years, the European Union has approved Celebrex (celecoxib) for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in adults. I'm surprised to discover that this is actually the first time a COX-2 drug has been approved for AS by the European Union.