Replacing vioxx with Mobicox?

[Guest guest]

In light of the vioxx recall, I'm considering trying Mobicox. I read

that it's in the same class of drugs as vioxx and celebrex (but is

cheaper). Also, it doesn't have " coxib " (whatever that is).

Vioxx has worked so well for me since I started using it 15 months

ago (I tried celebrex first for a month and it did nothing for me).

I heard on the news today that Mobicox doesn't carry the same risks

of stroke & heart attack as vioxx.

Has anyone tried Mobicox? Did it work as well as Vioxx?

[Guest guest]

I have been using Mobic for the last 3 years. I started with

Celebrex and it did good for about 2 years and then it didn't help.

I went on Vioxx for only 6 months and it did nothing. Since then it

has been Mobic.

No problems or side affects that I can tell.

Dick

> In light of the vioxx recall, I'm considering trying Mobicox. I

read

> that it's in the same class of drugs as vioxx and celebrex (but is

> cheaper). Also, it doesn't have " coxib " (whatever that is).

>

> Vioxx has worked so well for me since I started using it 15 months

> ago (I tried celebrex first for a month and it did nothing for

me).

>

> I heard on the news today that Mobicox doesn't carry the same

risks

> of stroke & heart attack as vioxx.

>

> Has anyone tried Mobicox? Did it work as well as Vioxx?

[Guest guest]

I did a google search and found this recent press release (copied

below) at the following link:

http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.ca/news_releases/2001/2001-08-24.asp

MOBICOX®, a unique COX-II selective NSAID,

offers patients favorable cardiovascular safety profile

Toronto, Canada - August 24th, 2001 - CNW - Mobicox, a popular new

arthritis drug approved in Canada, offers arthritis sufferers a

favorable cardiovascular and gastrointestinal safety profile. Unlike

other COX-II selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)

known as coxibs, MOBICOX, an oxicam COX-2 selective NSAID, represents

a unique class of COX-II selective NSAIDs. A recent study published

in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated that

NSAIDs of the coxib class appear to carry a risk of causing blood

clots leading to heart attack and stroke.

" We know that some NSAIDs have been associated with unsatisfactory

cardiac side effects and that some can cause unbearable stomach

problems, " said Wallace, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology &

Therapeutics, University of Calgary. " These serious cardiovascular

events do not seem to be attributed to non-coxib COX-II-selective

agents like MOBICOX. "

" Treatments like MOBICOX represent a new generation of NSAID drugs

and offer arthritis patients new options to fight this painful

disease, " added Dr. Wallace.

Findings from a pooled analysis of 35 clinical trials with 27,039

patients demonstrate that MOBICOX has no increased risk of

cardiovascular adverse events(1) comparable to traditional NSAIDs and

is not substantially different from placebo. MOBICOX is indicated for

the relief of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid

arthritis and is the third COX-II selective NSAID approved in Canada

after Celebrex®(*) (celecoxib) and Vioxx®(*)(*) (rofecoxib).

While COX-2 selective, Mobicox differs from Vioxx and Celebrex in

that it is not a coxib.

Efficacy and safety of MOBICOX are further supported by an extensive

clinical trial database of more than 32,000 patients. Abstracts

pertaining to Mobicox's safety and efficacy were posted during the

Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in June in Prague. Copies of

the abstracts also are available on www.eular.org.

" This large analysis revealed that MOBICOX in doses of 7.5 mg to as

high as 30 mg was not associated with an increased risk of

cardiovascular toxicity " , said Gurkirpal Singh, MD, Professor of

Medicine Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University Medical

School.

" We also found the risk of clinically significant upper

gastrointestinal events with MOBICOX to be dose-dependent and low at

the recommended doses of 7.5mg and 15mg, " added Dr. Singh.

These safety findings are especially important in light of the

medical community's concern regarding the cardiovascular side effects

of Celebrex and Vioxx. Many osteoarthritis patients are older than

65, and many of these patients suffer from co-morbid conditions

including cardiovascular disease. Therefore, when choosing a

medication to treat osteoarthritis, it is important to strike a

balance between efficacy and overall safety. Mobicox offers this

balance.

Arthritis is a chronic disease affecting more than 4 million

Canadians. Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, affects

more than 75 per cent of all arthritis patients in Canada. It is a

chronic disease characterized by joint pain, swelling and stiffness,

as well as a reduction in mobility.

As one of Canada's top three chronic conditions, arthritis is the

most common cause of long-term disability in the country accounting

for more than 25 per cent of all long-term disability cases.(2)

MOBICOX has been used by more than 45 million patients in 100

countries worldwide,(3) and offers a balance between reliable

efficacy and overall safety, including favorable cardiovascular and

gastrointestinal tolerability profile (4,5), at a Canadian cost of

about 39 percent less than Celebrex and Vioxx.

About Boehringer Ingelheim

The Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies ( " Boehringer Ingelheim " ),

with headquarters in Ingelheim (Germany) is one of the 20 leading

pharmaceutical firms in the world and reported revenues of almost US

$5.4 billion in 1999.

Boehringer Ingelheim has worldwide some 140 affiliated companies. The

focus is on the human pharmaceutical as well as on the animal health

business. The human pharmaceutical business, which is responsible for

92% of sales, includes mainly ethical pharmaceuticals and consumer

healthcare but also products for industrial customers (chemicals and

biopharmaceuticals).

For more information, please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.com.

(*) CELEBREX is a registered trademark of Pharmacia Corporation (*)

(*) VIOXX is a registered trademark of Merck & Company, Inc.

References:

Singh G, " Meloxicam does not increase the risk of acute myocardial

infarction, congestive heart failure, edema or hypertension compared

to NSAIDS: results from a pooled analysis of 27,039 patients. "

Abstract to be presented at the Annual European Congress of

Rheumatology, June 13-16, 2001, Prague, Czech Republic.

Arthritis Society of Canada.

Dequeker J, Degner F. Meloxicam: new formulations and their use in

rheumatology. Editorial Inflammation Research 50; 2001:S3-S4.

Hawkey C, Kahan A, Steinbruck K, Alegre C, Baumelou E, Begaud B,

Dequeker J, Isomaki H, Littlejohn G, Mau J, Papazoglou S and the

International MELISSA Study Group. Gastrointestinal tolerability of

meloxicam compared to diclofenac in osteoarthritis patients. Br J

Rheumatol 1998, 37:937-945.

Dequeker J, Hawkey C, Kahan A, Steinbruck K, Alegre C, Baumelou E,

Begaud B, Isomaki H, Littlejohn G, Mau J, Papazoglou S on behalf of

the SELECT Study Group. Improvement in gastrointestinal tolerability

of the selective cyclooxygenase COX-2 inhibitor, meloxicam, compared

with piroxicam: Results of the safety and efficacy large scale

evaluation of COX inhibition therapies (SELECT) trial in

osteoarthritis. Br J Rheumatol 1998, 37:946-951.

Contact:

Lurch-Shaw / Francine Beck

GCI Group

Tel: (416) 486-5911 / 486-5909

-OR-

Adam Coote

Boehringer Ingelheim Canada

Tel: (905) 631-4514

[Guest guest]

Thanks -- that's helpful. I'll ask my doctor about switching to

Mobicox. I heard on the news last night that there is now a class

action law suit in Canada over Vioxx.

> > In light of the vioxx recall, I'm considering trying Mobicox. I

> read

> > that it's in the same class of drugs as vioxx and celebrex (but is

> > cheaper). Also, it doesn't have " coxib " (whatever that is).

> >

> > Vioxx has worked so well for me since I started using it 15

months

> > ago (I tried celebrex first for a month and it did nothing for

> me).

> >

> > I heard on the news today that Mobicox doesn't carry the same

> risks

> > of stroke & heart attack as vioxx.

> >

> > Has anyone tried Mobicox? Did it work as well as Vioxx?