The FDA has added warning labels to some commonly used pain relievers like ibuprophen and naproxen, warning that use of these NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) increase the risk of heart attacks.

But according to Curt Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, the FDA has ignored the most dangerous of these drugs, Voltaren, and incorrectly labeled naproxen, which appears to be safe based on research.

High doses (500 mg twice daily) of Aleve were not associated with an increased risk of heart attacks compared to a placebo. High doses of Advil (800 mg three times a day) and Voltaren (75 mg twice daily) were associated with rates of heart attack that were 51 percent and 63 percent higher, than the placebo. The increased risk of heart attack is associated with drugs that are COX-2 inhibitors.

“Naproxen does not increase the risk of heart attacks and ought to be a painkiller of choice,” said Furberg. “On the other hand, Voltaren carries the same risk as the harmful COX-2 inhibitors Bextra® and Vioxx®, which have been taken off the market.

Read more at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved several generic versions of the Boehring Ingelheim’s Mobic Tablets, (Meloxicam) a popular NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) used in the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Meloxicam is an extremely popular drug, ranking 38th in dollar sales of brand-name drugs in the United States. A generic alternative will mean significant savings for patients. The approval of generic drugs can effectively aid in the lowering of health care costs and currently are used to fill more than 50% of all prescriptions written in the U.S.