FDA OKs Celebrex for Kids With Arthritis

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"We're not sure exactly what the role of this drug is going to be in the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis," Ilowite continued. "The biggest issue is that there will be more choices. There's not really good evidence that Celebrex spares side effects or is particularly effective more than other choices, but for individualized patients it might be."

It's estimated that as many as 60,000 children in the United States have JRA, which causes painful joint swelling and can affect growth and development.

Up until now, Celebrex (celecoxib) was approved to treat adults with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In its application to expand that approval to include treatment of JRA, Pfizer included a six-month study that concluded that Celebrex works as well as naproxen in treating young patients.

Celebrex is a member of the controversial group of painkillers called cox-2 inhibitors, which have been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Two other cox-2s, Vioxx and Bextra, have been withdrawn from the market because of heart risk concerns. Celebrex remains available to consumers, but in 2005, the FDA required that the drug carry a "black box" warning on the possible risk of heart attack or stroke.

More information

For more on with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.