The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided December 17, not to recall Celebrex but it has not ruled out the possibility.

Pfizer informed the FDA that it was pulling the drug from a cancer prevention study because patients taking high doses of Celebrex were at a greater risk of heart attack or stroke than those taking a placebo.

"The FDA advises alternative therapy," said Lester M. Crawford, acting FDA Commissioner after Pfizer announced that it would end the study. He recommended doctors to consider other forms of treatment and any Celebrex users to contact their physicians immediately.