RESEARCH - Link discovered between Vioxx and cardiovascular events

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Link Discovered Between Arthritis Pain Reliever And Cardiovascular Events

MedicalNewsToday.com

Article Date: 15 Sep 2010 - 1:00 PDT

A research team from the University of California, and Peking

University, China, has discovered a novel mechanism as to why the

long-term, high-dosage use of the well-known arthritis pain

medication, Vioxx, led to heart attacks and strokes. Their

groundbreaking research may pave the way for a safer drug for millions

of arthritis patients who suffer acute and chronic pain.

Using metabolomic profiling to analyze murine (rodent) plasma, the

scientists discovered that Vioxx causes a dramatic increase in a

regulatory lipid that could be a major contributor to the heart

attacks and strokes associated with high levels of the drug and other

selective COX-2 inhibitors, known as " coxibs. "

" This is a major breakthrough that can lead to a better medication for

people suffering from acute pain, " said entomologist-chemist Bruce

Hammock, a distinguished professor of entomology with a joint

appointment at the UC Cancer Center. The research took place in

the laboratories of Hammock, cell biologist Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, UC

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine; and physiologist Yi Zhu,

Peking University.

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