Celebrex Gains Prescriptions After Bextra Withdrawal, But Analysts Warn Drug's Glory Days Over

NEW YORK (AP) -- It is a silver lining of sorts. Pfizer Inc. arthritis drug Celebrex has been the biggest beneficiary of last month's withdrawal of Bextra, a pain reliever made by the same company. Celebrex has grabbed roughly a third of Bextra's prescriptions while Mobic, a pain reliever marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH and Abbott Laboratories Inc., has captured around 26 percent. Pfizer removed Bextra from the market on April 7 at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which was concerned about its links to heart attacks and a rare skin condition. Analysts said the shift to Celebrex is a glimmer of good news for Pfizer, but they note the glory days of the drug are firmly behind it, as doctors have increasingly shifted patients to other prescription medications or over-the-counter products. Safety concerns have contracted the entire market for arthritis drugs, but Celebrex's slide has been deeper than the overall drop.