Naproxen may be safer than rival painkillers, FDA says.

ABC World News (1/28, story 6, 0:25, Sawyer) reports in its broadcast that an FDA report said naproxen found in Bayer AG’s Aleve painkiller could be a safer alternative for people with heart diseases compared with its rivals. “The FDA found the key ingredient may provide a lower risk of heart attack and stroke than a rival medication, Ibuprofen,” ABC News said.

        The Wall Street Journal (1/29, Burton, Dooren, Subscription Publication) reports proof that naproxen, found in Bayer AG’s Aleve and other generic medications, is safer comes from a number of studies the FDA reviewed since 2005.

        The AP (1/29, Perrone) reports FDA staffers backed “relabeling naproxen to emphasize its safety.” The labeling changes “could make Aleve and other naproxen drugs the first choice for patients with a higher risk for heart problems,” according to Ira Loss, a pharmaceutical analyst with Washington Analysis.

        Bloomberg News (1/28, Edney) reports the FDA is asking advisers to consider whether to block the ongoing safety study of Pfizer Inc. arthritis medicine Celebrex (celecoxib) “compared with ibuprofen and naproxen” since naproxen “is seen as safer.” Bloomberg also notes that a study published in medical journal Lancet last year also showed naproxen was safer compared with other painkillers.