A New York state judge has ruled that plaintiffs didn’t present scientifically reliable evidence that the painkiller caused heart attacks or strokes when taken at a daily dose of 200 milligrams, which the drugmaker claims this is the most common dose. The decision mimics one made in November by a federal court judge in San Francisco.

New York Supreme Court judge Shirley Kornreich ruled that “…the scientific evidence, whether for a heart attack or stroke, is just not there,” according to a Pfizer statement. As a result, Pfizer believes the two decisions leave certain expert opinions inadmissible, and could result in the dismissal of many Celebrex cases. However, the ruling doesn’t pertain to an unspecified number of cases involving people who took the 400mg dose.

The ruling emanated from litigation that was mostly filed after FDA hearings in 2005 concering cardiovascular risks associated with both Celebrex and Bextra, a newer Cox-2 painkiller that was pulled from the market. To prep for her decision, Kornreich attended a hearing in federal court in San Francisco last November, where Pfizer first attempted to exclude testimony by several expert witnesses that Celebrex is harmful.

Thanks to the two rulings, Pfizer can now proclaim that Celebrex - which, of course, is still on the market - is safe enough, at least at the lower dosage that the drugmaker claims is more commonly taken. Had Kornreich decided there is a serious cardiovascular risk across the board, such a ruling might resonate beyond the courtroom, dampening enthusiasm for the painkiller.