However, he says that for patients at risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, these might be important medicines.

FORBES: Pfizer's Heart Attack

Accusations include increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and heart attacks and slowdowns in the ulcer-healing process.

FORBES: Dr. Feelgood

Doubts grew that Avastin wouldn't work, or that some serious side effect such as gastrointestinal bleeding would ground the once-promising drug.

FORBES: Genentech's Winning Streak

Both drugs are among a class of medicines called Cox-2 inhibitors, which are meant to treat inflammation without the gastrointestinal bleeding that ibuprofen and aspirin can cause.

FORBES: The Heavy Weight Of Clinical Trials

Another possible label change would warn that excessive doses of ibuprofen and naproxen may increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and magnify kidney damage for those with preexisting conditions.

FORBES: Magazine Article

All three drugs belong to a class of anti-inflammatory drugs called Cox-2 inhibitors, which ease inflammation without causing the gastrointestinal bleeding that can accompany older pain medicines like ibuprofen and aspirin.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Up to four per cent of patients taking NSAIDs develop serious gastrointestinal complications, including peptic ulceration and bleeding from the stomach and small intestine.

BBC: Food supplement prevents drug damage