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Excerpts from
"Drug Bites Man: Most Arthritic Dogs Do Great on This Pill, Except Those That Die
A Surprised FDA and Pfizer Strive for Right Response For Remedy Gone Awry"
"What to Say in the TV Ads"
By Chris Adams
March 13, 2000
The Wall Street Journal
(Copyright (c) 2002, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)
Rimadyl has been given to more than four million dogs in the U.S. however pet owners are complaining that nobody warned them of its risks.
After reports of bad reactions and deaths started streaming in to the FDA suggested that Pfizer mention "death" as a possible side effect in a warning letter to vets, on labels and in TV ads.
Pfizer points out that reported adverse events involve less than 1% of treated dogs. Since Rimadyl 's 1997 launch, the FDA has received reports of about 1,000 dogs that died or were put to sleep and 7,000 more that had bad reactions after taking the drug, records and official estimates indicate. The FDA says such events are significantly underreported.
The FDA says Rimadyl deserves to be on the market, provided vets take the proper precautions. These include advising dog owners what bad reactions to watch for and periodically doing liver-function or other lab tests. "As with all medications, side effects are certainly a problem," says David Whitten of the Hilldale Veterinary Hospital in Southfield, Michigan.
(See related letter: "Letters to the Editor: Dog Drug Dangers" -- WSJ March 23, 2000)
(See related letter: "Letters to the Editor: Dietary Supplements For Arthritic Canines" -- WSJ March 24, 2000) | 
