Millions of people now depend on aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and a host of other pills called "non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs," or NSAIDs. They're used for arthritis, everyday aches, recovery from surgery and a myriad of other pains. Many are available without a prescription; others come in higher-dose prescription-only strengths.

But NSAIDs can cause ulcers, stomach bleeding and other gastrointestinal side effects, especially in long-term users. NSAIDs are blamed for hospitalizing 107,000 Americans every year, and killing 16,500.

This is where Celebrex comes in. Celebrex is an effective painkiller, and is also safer than NSAIDs. 4,700 endoscopies were performed (snaking a tube into patients' stomachs to see if ulcers were forming even before they experienced symptoms). Some 25 percent to 40 percent of patients taking ibuprofen or naproxen showed these mini-ulcers, vs. 5 percent to 10 percent of Celebrex patients.