— Canadian Prices on Cox-2 Inhibitors Half That in U.S.
WHITE PLAINS, NY — October 7, 2004 —PharmacyChecker.com announced today that drug searches on its drug price comparison website for Pfizer's COX-2 medications, Celebrex and Bextra, have increased by 24% and 53%, respectively, since September 29th when Merck recalled Vioxx globally. These drugs are all COX-2 anti-inflammatories used for arthritis. Searches for Mobic (from Abbott), a less popular anti-inflammatory, increased by more than 200%.
Vioxx was removed from the market due to an association with increased heart attack risk. In response, Pfizer and Abbott have launched advertising campaigns to distance their products from Vioxx and attract former Vioxx users.
As shown below, the prices on Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra are similar (approximately $250 to $260 for 100 pills) at the lowest priced U.S. pharmacy and about 50% lower ($120 to $130) at the lowest priced Canadian pharmacy listed at www.pharmacychecker.com.
| Lowest Prices in U.S. and Canada on Cox-2 Anti-Inflammatories | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug | Lowest-price Canadian online pharmacy | Lowest-price U.S. online pharmacy | Potential savings over U.S. price | ||||||||
| Celebrex (25mg - 100 pills) | $127.72 | $253.00 | 50% | ||||||||
| Bextra (20mg - 100 pills) | $123.12 | $264.00 | 53% | ||||||||
| Vioxx (25mg - pills) | $120.16 | $258.00 | 53% | ||||||||
| Source: PharmacyChecker.com | |||||||||||
Dr. Tod Cooperman, MD, President of PharmacyChecker.com, stated "Because of their therapeutic similarity, people who used Vioxx will likely shift to Celebrex or Bextra, as indicated by searches on our website. Americans that use Canadian pharmacies will find savings of 50% on the Pfizer COX-2 drugs. However, Pfizer, unlike Merck, has been aggressive in restricting access to its drugs via Canada. As orders for Pfizer products increase, Canadian pharmacies serving U.S. consumers may need to source these drugs from other pharmacies in Canada and overseas."
PharmacyChecker.com is the leading evaluator of pharmacies that operate by mail-order and online in the U.S., Canada, and abroad. Visitors to www.pharmacychecker.com get pharmacy ratings, in-depth pharmacy profiles, and price comparisons on over 1,000 brand name and generic drugs. PharmacyChecker.com will soon publish its ratings and information in paperback as PharmacyChecker.com's Guide to Low-Cost Canadian and U.S. Pharmacies. The guidebook can be pre-ordered by calling 800-431-1579.
PharmacyChecker.com is privately held and based in White Plains, New York. It has no ownership in or from companies that sell or distribute pharmacy products. PharmacyChecker.com also publishes business-level reports that provide price trends and analyses on Canadian and U.S. pharmacies. To order a PriceTracker report or for private consulting, contact Gabriel Levitt, at gabriel.levitt@pharmacychecker.com (718) 387-4526.
