The European Commission has ordered a full-scale probe into the safety of five remaining Cox-2 arthritis drugs, following last month’s worldwide withdrawal of Merck & Co Inc.'s Vioxx. Vioxx -- a blockbuster drug with annual sales of $2.55 billion -- was pulled from the market after a clinical study showed it raised the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The London-based European Medicines Agency said on Friday it had been given the go-ahead for the investigation after a preliminary review established there were serious safety questions. Its remit will now include Novartis AG’s new Cox-2 drug Prexige, which was not covered by the earlier short review. Prexige is on sale in Britain and Australia but not yet approved elsewhere in the European Union or the United States.
