Terugtrekking van rofecoxib: Een signaal om voorzichtig te zijn met coxibs bij patiënten met verhoogd cardiovasculair risico

Recently, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures rofecoxib (Vioxx) withdrew the drug on the basis of information indicating that it increases the number of acute myocardial infarctions and sudden cardiac deaths. Up until then, the advantages of selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (coxibs): notably fewer gastrointestinal complications than with the non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were considered to outweigh the adverse effects. Since the other coxibs share properties with rofecoxib, such as the potential for a higher thrombotic response in treated patients, it now seems wise to refrain from prescribing coxibs in patients with an increased cardiovascular risk profile until further data are available.