Study - Celebrex safer than Vioxx

PHILADELPHIA -- New research suggests that top-selling pain reliever Celebrex does not carry the same heart attack risk as Vioxx, a similar drug pulled from the market in September because of safety concerns.

The study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania contradicts claims that all so-called cox-2 inhibitors may carry similar dangers.

"Relative to Celebrex, Vioxx had about a threefold greater risk of heart attacks," said Dr. Stephen Kimmel, lead author of the study. "What that implies is that all cox-2 inhibitors may not be the same."

Researchers surveyed 1,718 patients in the five-county Philadelphia area who had heart attacks and were treated at one of 36 hospitals, and a comparison group of 6,800 people in the region.