Cleveland Clinic announces landmark painkiller study

In an effort to restore public confidence in prescription and over-the-counter painkillers, the Cleveland Clinic will lead a major international study on the safety and efficacy of commonly used brands. The study will bring in pharmaceutical industry voices, academia and government and be led by Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Dr. Steven Nissen. The research will test Celebrex, Naproxen and Ibuprofen. Pfizer is funding the study for $100 million, which looks partly like advancing science and a little like desperation given recent studies indicating that Celebrex has no advantages over NSAIDs. The project's announcement follows closely on the heels of widely publicized reports of a feud at the Clinic between cardiologist Dr. Eric Topol and Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove.

- see this article from The Detroit Free Press