Painkiller with deadly effect in market

Mubashar Hasan
BDNEWS Writer

Dhaka July 22 (BDNEWS) - Some leading drug companies are producing and marketing a painkiller having deadly effect on human body to make windfall.

The main manufacturer of the drug, Pfizer Inc, stopped marketing in April in the USA of the drug following the advice of the FDA, the US drug regulatory body.

On April 7, Pfizer withdrew its research product "Bextra", generic name of which is "valdecoxib", following reports from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

Officials in the local drug companies are saying although they know "valdecoxib" is a pain killer that increases the risk of heart attack of arthritis patients, the company is marketing the drug under different brand names, as the Directorate of Drug Administration has not imposed any embargo on the company.

This painkiller is commonly used for pain related to arthritis and primary dysmenorrhoea.

According to the Drug Administration high-ups, they know it is a deadly painkiller but they are not concerned by it as Bangladesh does not follow the recommendations of the US FDA, it follows the WHO.

"If the WHO recommends us to withdraw this product, we will do so," said Director of the Drug Administration Habibur Rahman.

Different companies are marketing the product under different names and in two strengths -- 10 milligrams and 20 milligrams.

Square Pharmaceutical is marketing the product under the name of XTRA 10 TAB and XTRA 20 TAB. Orion named it VEXTRA and VEXTRA 10, while Incepta Pharma is marketing the medicine as ALDECOX TABLET and ALDECOX 20.

Acme Laboratories names the product as VIB 10 and VIB 20, Globe Pharma's brand name is VALORA 10 and VALORA 20 and Beximco Pharma's is V-COX 10.

Only Novartis, a Swiss-based multinational, through a public announcement in different national dailies on May 4 abandoned production of the drug and withdrew it from the local market.

The advertisement said " Sandoz Division, Novartis (Bangladesh) Limited in line with the Pfizer decision has voluntarily suspended promotion to doctor and supply to market of its brand 'Vaxib' with effect from Friday 8th April 2005."

"We withdraw our product on ethical ground as the Pfizer itself withdraw their product as it is a dangerous drug for human," said Rasna Hasan, Manager (Corporate Affairs) of Novartis (Bangladesh).

Shafiqul Islam, product officer of ACME laboratories, said "We know about the bad effect of this product. But it has no alternative for the arthritis patients. We did not withdraw it as the drug administration did not say anything about it."

Asked about their responsibility towards the consumers, Islam refused to comment.

Nazmul Hassan, chief executive officer of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd, admitted that they knew that Pfizer issued a warning about the product.

Hassan, who is also the secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI), said, "We did not know that Pfizer stopped marketing of the product, we only knew that Pfizer has warned about some serious side affects of this medicine."

"We will check that out and will withdraw the drug from the market if the parent company does so," Nazmul Hassan told BDNEWS.

But Director of the Drug Administration Habibur Rahman dismissing the FDA's concern said, "Had the drug been so harmful, the World Health Organisation would have banned it." He, however, admitted that the drug has some side affects, but added "The drug is still being marketed in other countries."

BDNEWS/1840 hrs