Aspirin Might Counter Side Effects Of Cox-2 Painkillers

Few prescription drugs have as tarnished a reputation as Vioxx, the painkiller that was removed from the market last September amid reports that it caused heart attacks. Now, however, researchers are reporting that an old, inexpensive standby -- aspirin -- may actually reduce the nasty cardiovascular effects of Vioxx and its sister medications. The research was only done in mice, and tests in humans appear to be out of the question. Still, the findings show promise that aspirin could come to the rescue of painkillers known as cox-2 inhibitors, said study senior author Dr. Thomas Coffman, chief of division of nephrology at Duke University in Durham, N.C. "It's at least an idea that we think has some merit." Last September, Merck & Co. withdrew its billion-dollar blockbuster drug Vioxx from the market. Two similar drugs -- Celebrex and Bextra -- have also come under fire, and the FDA pulled Bextra from the market last spring. Celebrex is still available, but carries heightened label warnings about cardiovascular side effects.