Celebrex Lawsuits – 2023 Update

Posted on by Charles

What is Celebrex?

Celebrex (Celecoxib) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat arthritis and short-term pain. It is produced by Pfizer and is a COX-2 selective inhibitor.

What are the uses and side effects of Celebrex?

Celebrex is used to treat pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and other types of pain. Since Celebrex is an NSAID it can increas the risk of heart attack, stroke and stomach bleeding.

Are there any Celebrex lawsuits?

While Celebrex continues to be a popular arthritis medication, the legal landscape surrounding it has evolved significantly. Here are some key developments.

One of the most notable updates involves a case against Pfizer, the manufacturer of Celebrex, which resulted in an $894 million settlement in 2008. This litigation stemmed from claims that Celebrex, along with another drug called Bextra, increased the risk of cardiovascular events in patients who were primarily prescribed these medications for arthritis-related pain. The settlement funds were distributed across personal-injury lawsuits, states regarding Bextra marketing claims, and consumer-fraud cases​.

In addition, Pfizer faced a securities class action lawsuit filed by investors in 2004, which was settled in 2016 for $486 million. Investors alleged that Pfizer concealed information regarding studies of Bextra and Celebrex that indicated the drugs might increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Once this information was made public and Bextra was pulled from the market, Pfizer’s share price fell, causing investors to suffer losses​.

More recently, Pfizer has been embroiled in an antitrust class action lawsuit over Celebrex. The lawsuit alleges that Pfizer illegally tried to extend its patent on Celebrex to delay the sale of a generic version of the drug, leading to higher prices for patients and insurers. After Pfizer’s patent on Celebrex was deemed invalid in 2008, the company allegedly sought reissuance of the patent from the United States Patent and Trade Office (PTO) using misleading information. Pfizer was accused of using the reissued patent to instigate sham litigation against manufacturers of generic Celebrex, not with the intention of winning, but to delay the entry of generic alternatives to the market​.

As a result, purchasers of prescription drugs reportedly paid and continue to pay higher prices for Celebrex, despite the only valid patents for its active ingredient, celecoxib, having expired. This situation has purportedly resulted in antitrust overcharges of hundreds of millions of dollars. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are seeking to represent all persons or entities who purchased Celebrex or its generic equivalents after May 30, 2014​.

Additional information about Celebrex

To learn more about Celebrex, please visit these sites: