Melissa Davis
"Although Merck's withdrawal of Vioxx 'solves' the safety problems with this drug," Public Citizen wrote, "the most-prescribed alternatives -- Celebrex and Bextra -- also have some concerns about their cardiac toxicity."
Over the years, Public Citizen has criticized both Merck and Vioxx for allegedly downplaying the risks associated with their COX-2 inhibitors. It noted that both had fielded warnings from the Food and Drug Administration about their promotion of the painkillers. Many, including Dollarhide, believe that heavy promotion drove consumers to ask their doctors for the drugs by name and, therefore, fuel their popularity. But Dollarhide now wonders whether doctors will be as willing to write prescriptions for COX-2 inhibitors -- even if they do stay on the market. He believes the potential cardiac risks may simply look too great. "We're talking about a drug for arthritis here; we're talking about joint pain," he said. "That's not a very good trade-off." Still, Dollarhide plans to keep Pfizer -- with its large portfolio of blockbuster drugs -- as a holding unless he discovers some kind of "untreatable cancer within the company." Specifically, he says he would drop the stock "if it turns out that Pfizer made some of the same, or even less ethical, moves" that Merck has been accused of making. To be fair, both companies have stood by their actions. But Dollarhide foresees big legal bills if they have knowingly done anything wrong. By now, Merck already faces a slew a patient lawsuits. But Dollarhide worries that Pfizer -- with its deeper pockets -- could face even bigger risks if troubling evidence about its own COX-2 inhibitors starts to surface as well. "Would you rather sue the guy who is driving the Honda Accord or the guy who is driving the Mercedes-Benz?" he asked. "Personally, I think you might sue both."
RSS
