Celebrex and Bextra Settlements Resolve 90% of Litigation
October 20th, 2008 • Filed Under: News • 7 Comments
On Friday, Pfizer confirmed that they have reached agreements in principal to settle Bextra and Celebrex lawsuits filed by individuals who suffered injuries like heart attacks and strokes, as well as consumer fraud and state attorney general claims. The settlements will resolve more than 90% of the known lawsuits Pfizer faces involving the drugs.
Celebrex and Bextra are pain medications that were sold by Pfizer to millions of Americans. Also known as COX-2 enzyme inhibitors, the drugs reduce pain and inflammation in the back and neck and pain from arthritis. However, they have also been linked to increased cardiovascular risk, including heart attacks and strokes.
They are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) pain medications, which are part of the same class of medications as Vioxx, which was recalled in 2004 by Merck & Co. as a result of heart risks. Merck is currently in the process of finalizing about 50,000 Vioxx settlements for $4.8 billion.
Reports of Celebrex and Bextra settlements first began to surface in May 2008, when the Wall Street Journal reported that Pfizer was negotiating with lawyers who represent injured users of the drugs. However, Pfizer did not confirm the settlements until they issued a press release on October 17, 2008.
Pfizer indicates that they have agreed to set aside $894 million to pay Bextra and Celebrex settlements which have been reached on nearly all of the pending personal injury lawsuits that the company is aware of.
The drug maker indicates that $745 million will be used to settle injury lawsuits, $60 million will be applied to state attorney general settlements and $89 million will be applied to Celebrex and Bextra class action lawsuits alleging consumer fraud.
Although no specific figures were provided about the number of Bextra and Celebrex lawsuits settled or the value of each case, the May 2008 report in the Wall Street Journal indicated that lawyers negotiating the cases have been averaging about $200,000 for each Bextra settlement and between $40,000 and $50,000 per case for Celebrex settlements.
Pfizer issued a Bextra recall in April 2005 after it was linked to heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and other injuries such as the Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), which is a serious and potentially fatal skin reaction. The Bextra Stevens-Johnson Syndrome lawsuits were not included in the announced settlements, as most of these cases have already settled.
While Celebrex was also linked to the heart risks, Pfizer did not recall the medication and it is still on the market today with much stronger warnings.
Comment by Abraham on 24 October 2008:
Celebrex and brextra settlement should be given to everyone that had a HEART attact or STROKE WIith out Question, they charge you all that money fo the drug and when it almost kill you they want to show favortism to some , we have have waited long enough. let’s do the right about these issue.I have a relative in the business they make lot of money, and like the Katrina sisuation we have not straighten out from that, and now the people that have suffered are not treated fairly. Ladies and geltemen we can do better than this. thanks
Comment by JoAnn on 3 November 2008:
I took Bextra and had a stoke in May 2004 and have not worked since then. The after effects caused an unsteady balance issue which resulted in a fall that broke my arm, injured my leg and face. I was forced into an early retirement/disability status. I am hopeful that everyone who has sufferred as a result of Bextra will receive a settlement.
Comment by Lyndsey on 11 November 2008:
My father just passed while on the drug Celebrex. I’m not a money-grubbing person but I hope its not to late to get some of the settlement.
Comment by judy on 25 November 2008:
I also took celebrex and had a heart attack, {massive] damage to my heart, I was only 53 years old and in good health ,worked full time but unfortunatlly my shoulder and hip started aching and stupid me I seen my dr. and he gave me a rx. for celebrex,I started taking it june 6 2002 and by july I was having real problems ,I wore a heart monitor for 2 days but it didnt work [malfunctioned]. I trudged on but was feeling sooo bad ,In nov 2002 I went to emergency room given rx for heartburn ,I told them it was my heart,they said your to young, Went to emergency again in dec more heartburn meds ,told them ITS MY HEART,no your to young.Went to a walkin urgent care in jan 2003 told them its my heart ,no your to young , I lost it and started to cry the Physian aid ask if I would feel better if he did a EKG ,I said yes I would ,He did the ekg and all hell broke loose ,I was given nitro, asprin and im not sure what else .But come to find out it was an OLD MYCARDIAL INFRACTION, I had already suffered a heart attack probably shortly after I started taking celebrex I believe it was in july 2002 ,Anyway I had heart surgery jan 27 2003 ,they said I was very lucky I finally was diagnosed since my heart was so severely damaged .I went back to urgent care and thanked the P A for listening to me .Needless to say im totally disabled,and on 3 different heat meds.And my medical bills totaled $250,000.00,AND BY THE WAY PFIZER OFFERED ME $2000.00 settlement thats two thousand dollars .As you can tell im very very angry.
Comment by judy on 25 November 2008:
please e-mail me at judydelaine@frontiernet.net if you would like to vent with me .
Comment by Gladys on 28 November 2008:
I lost my husband Aug. 23, 2005 he was taking celebrex for his knees. He was a healthy young man with only pain in his knees. He started taking celebrex in 2004 stop Dec. 2004. Started back July 2005 passed away Aug 2005 it was not a heart attack or stoke. The doctor said that Celebrex kill my husband. Now I am waiting to see what the court is going to do.
Comment by BJ on 6 December 2008:
This is to Judy–I know what you are going through –Cause I had the same problem with Celebrex & I also was offered $2,000.00 & my hospital bills were over $10,000.00 not encludeing the Heart Specialist.
I was only 48 yrs old & no History of Heart Problem —I am very upset also when that the only pill I took back in 2001.
I only took 100milgrams but it was for about 18mo’s & they said Pfizer wasn’t even considering paying anything to people who took 200 milgrams & below–I Think that just wrong & they should pay us more just like the other people who took higher doses.
We suffered just like they did –Now I can not do the things I have done before Cause I have Heart Meds to take & a Stint in Heart.
Plus a Damge Heart–Only God Can make them treat us Fairly.
I pray that they will pay alot more.
BJ