Merck Could Face 100K Vioxx Law Suits
Merck withdrew Vioxx from the market last September after a study showed it doubled patients' risk of heart attacks and stroke in people taking the drug longer than 18 months.

What a Vioxx redux might do
The prospect of a Vioxx comeback arose during an FDA hearing on the painkillers known as Cox-2 inhibitors - Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx.The drugs do not necessarily work better at reducing pain than older drugs, such as ibuprofen, but were designed to cause less gastrointestinal bleeding and fewer ulcers.

Killer cures? Merck Vioxx
By now most of the seven million people in the UK who suffer from arthritis will know that Vioxx, a new type of widely prescribed anti-inflammatory drug, has been withdrawn because it doubled the risk of a heart attack. But until this week it wasn’t clear why. Australian scientists have just reported that Vioxx and other drugs of this type — Cox-2 inhibitors — significantly raise blood pressure, which is a serious risk factor for heart disease.

Merck woes grow - Fosamax loses patent; SEC tightens Vioxx grip
Merck got a double dose of bad news yesterday. The Securities and Exchange Commission launched a formal probe into recalled painkiller Vioxx and the firm may lose patent protection on top selling bone-replacement drug Fosamax 10 years earlier than expected.

Vioxx Woes May Reveal FDA's Flaws
The controversy over the drug Vioxx not only left millions of consumers confused about how to safely treat pain, but it may have exposed serious flaws in the federal government's ability to ensure drug safety.

Treatment needn't be risky, say arthritis experts
The arthritis medication Vioxx was pulled from the market Sept. 30 after studies indicated it increased the chance of heart attack and stroke. Less than two weeks ago, the other shoe fell. Celebrex, another arthritis drug in the same class of Cox-2 inhibitors, was linked to serious cardiovascular side effects. Last week, similar problems were seen with the popular painkiller naproxen (sold over the counter as Aleve).

Arthritis drugs put on urgent review
The new-generation drugs used to treat arthritis, Celebrex and Bextra, were the subject of a public health advisory from the US Food and Drug Administration late last week. It follows Pfizer's announcement a fortnight ago that a clinical trial had shown Celebrex could carry an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Heartburn ads treat the pain of drug firms
Sensing the possibility of such a government move, the makers of expensive heartburn drugs have launched an assertive advertising campaign pegged to the fall from grace of popular arthritis painkillers Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra.

Majority of Patients Have Discontinued Use of COX-2 Inhibitors
The Spine-health.com poll of 375 back pain patients who were taking Celebrex, Bextra, or Vioxx shows that only 36% are still taking some brand of COX-2 inhibitors. 42% switched to other pain medications (e.g., Aleve, Advil, Bayer, Tylenol), and 9% switched to non-drug pain relievers (e.g., herbal/dietary supplements).

Son's lawsuit blames Vioxx in death
The son of a Wichita woman who was taking Vioxx before she died has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the prescription painkiller's manufacturer, Merck & Co.

Merck Floats Vioxx Re-Stock
In a surprising announcement late Thursday, a Merck executive hinted that the company may begin reselling Vioxx -- a painkiller that generated billions of dollars in sales -- after yanking it off the market last September due to cardiac risks.

Pharma Prophet
The news that blockbuster arthritis drugs Vioxx and Celebrex may cause heart attacks shocked consumers and decimated the shares of their respective makers, Merck and Pfizer. If only people had listened six years ago to pharmacologist Garret FitzGerald.

Vioxx panel arrives in area
Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed since the painkilling drug was pulled from the market last August after a study showed the drug may cause heart trouble.

Vioxx - good for what pains us?
Merck had indications of potential problems with Vioxx several years ago but vigorously resisted efforts by others to warn doctors and patients, according to articles in the The Journal and The Times.

Cardiologist Will Drop Bombshell Testimony at Vioxx Hearing: Animal Tests Implicated in Tragic Outcomes for Human Patients
PCRM's report reveals that Vioxx and other COX-2 drugs actually had a heart-protective effect in mice and other animals, exactly opposite of how the drugs later performed in humans. The report also reveals that once clinical trials started showing that the drugs caused heart problems in humans, the pharmaceutical companies ignored this information and instead pointed to the animal tests as "evidence" that the drugs were safe.

Merck's Arcoxia painkiller may share side effects with Vioxx
Arcoxia is the successor drug to Merck's withdrawn Vioxx painkiller product, and it appears to have problems with heart conditions, according to federal regulators. Regulators believe that Arcoxia, like Vioxx, exacerbates heart problems. Arcoxia is a COX-2 inhibitor, a family of drugs that is coming under fire as links to heart conditions, strokes and even death become more well-defined.

Vioxx, Not Celebrex, Boosts Blood Pressure
New research shows that Vioxx raises blood pressure, but Celebrex apparently does not. The analysis of 19 studies, including nearly 45,500 patients, shows that the Cox-2 inhibitor class of pain relievers raises patients' risk of developing high blood pressure.

The Vioxx Digest for 2005
Vioxx is more than a medical controversy, it is a political one too. Vioxx studies show huge risk to patients, stocks have fallen, research confirms risk, FDA approves Vioxx for use, British patients sue the maker of Vioxx.

Nearly Half of U.S. Adults Closely Following News Coverage of Vioxx Withdrawal
Reactions to the withdrawal by adults living in households where someone was taking Vioxx at the time of the recall varied, but a majority did respond in some way when they learned the news. The most common action taken by Vioxx users was to consult with a doctor about switching to a new medication (50%).

Communicating Clinical Trial Results: a Not So Bitter Pill to Swallow
Better communicating Vioxx's clinical trial results and indicating potential cardiovascular problems earlier could have avoided the negative fallout from the voluntary recall. With the question of Cox-2 inhibitor's efficacy still unresolved, how can pharmaceutical companies better communicate the results of their clinical trials?

For some, Vioxx risk worth it
Graceanne Nevins, who deals with the crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis, has tried the slew of medications for her condition as they became available over the last three decades. An FDA advisory panel recently voted to recommend that Merck be allowed to resume sales of the Vioxx, which was the 20th best-selling drug in the United States with $1.8 billion in sales.

Researchers Confirm Vioxx Nearly Doubled Cardiovascular Risks in Cancer Prevention Study
The largest prospective trial ever examining the anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx as a chemoprevention agent found that the risk of developing a cardiovascular “event” –– heart attacks and/or strokes –– was almost double in patients who received the drug

Panel's Vioxx claims amount to lip service
Despite an expert panel's recommendation that Vioxx is safe enough to go back on the market, Merck is not expected to get much relief in court, where it faces billions of dollars in liability over the drug's safety problems.

New Vioxx Search Engine Launched
Nielsen Technical Services today announced the formal launch of their new Vioxx Search Engine (http://www.vioxx-search-engine.com). The site was created to provide a specific resource for those conducting research into the drug Vioxx produced by Merck, Inc.

Doctors don't miss Vioxx
life after Vioxx for the hundreds of Central Illinois residents. The anti-inflammatory drug was pulled last fall because it increased patients' risk of heart attack and stroke. Now, patients have several options. Some are doing fine on their new therapy. Others are in pain

Vioxx saps Merck profit, repatriation hurts rivals
The painkiller Vioxx was withdrawn after tests showed a link to heart attacks and strokes. Since then, Merck has battled accusations that it downplayed the safety risks and 575 lawsuits have been filed by patients who claim medical harm, along with several more by investors.

Study: Celebrex, Vioxx marketing led to overuse
The two COX-2 inhibitors were promoted with aggressive direct-to-consumer advertising campaigns after their approvals in 1998 and 1999, and the researchers conclude that the marketing played a significant role in leading both doctors and patients to overuse them

Vioxx Study Suggests 140,000 Patients Harmed
A controversial study of Vioxx, the arthritis painkiller drug removed from the market in September, has finally been published in the British medical journal The Lancet. The US Food and Drug Administration study, by lead researcher Dr. David Graham, of the FDA's office of drug safety suggests as many as 140,000 patients in the US may have suffered serious heart damage from taking Vioxx.

Judges to decide how to handle huge number of Vioxx cases
The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation will hear arguments from attorneys on how and where to handle scores of lawsuits against Merck & Co. Inc., which marketed the arthritis and pain medication.

Reputation of the FDA in shambles after Vioxx scandal; calls for wholesale FDA reform gain momentum
The reputation of both the FDA and Merck lies in shambles today after evidence continues to surface that shows the FDA knowingly approved, promoted and refused to recall a dangerous drug that caused an untold number of fatalities among the American population: Vioxx.

Merck caught in scandal to bury Vioxx heart attack risks
The truth has finally come out about Vioxx: insider emails published by the Wall Street Journal reveal that Merck, the maker of Vioxx, was fully aware of the health risks of its COX-2 inhibitor anti-inflammatory drug as early as March, 2000

Vioxx may have killed thousands of UK patients, study warns
Researchers said the drug Vioxx may have caused between 88,000 and 140,000 serious heart problems in the United States alone since its introduction in 1999. As 44 per cent of American patients with heart disease go on to die of the condition, many of the Vioxx patients were likely to have had their deaths hastened by the drug, it was claimed.

Vioxx, Celebrex overprescribed?
Millions of Americans who were prescribed Vioxx or Celebrex in the drugs' first few years on the market could have safely taken older, cheaper painkillers such as ibuprofen, a new study says.

Avoiding Another Vioxx - Guarding against unsafe drugs means major changes
In a congressional hearing last November, David J. Graham, a drug safety reviewer at the agency, estimated that as many as 55,000 Americans may have died as a result of taking the painkiller, a member of the COX-2 inhibitor class of drugs.

Hope plaintiffs want Vioxx suit moved back to county
A Hope man and his wife want his Vioxx lawsuit moved back to Hempstead County from federal court. Bobby and Linda Brown sued Vioxx on Oct. 6, merely days after Merck & Co. Inc. pulled the drug from shelves. The drug, which is often used to ease the pain of arthritis, was found to have caused heart problems, most notably heart attacks.

Arthritis drugs put on urgent review
The new-generation drugs used to treat arthritis, Celebrex and Bextra, were the subject of a public health advisory from the US Food and Drug Administration late last week. It follows Pfizer's announcement a fortnight ago that a clinical trial had shown Celebrex could carry an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Vioxx Gone, Celebrex May Be Next - Arthritis and Joint Pain Sufferers Look to Safer Natural Solution
As a specialist in joint extremity problems, Dr. Brad Krueger has worked with athletes on all levels; high school, college and even professional. He also runs a very successful general family chiropractic practice, serving all ages, at Cedar Rapids Chiropractic.

Louisiana court to handle Vioxx suits
Federal lawsuits alleging the recalled blockbuster arthritis drug Vioxx harmed patients will be transferred to a Louisiana judge experienced in major pharmaceutical litigation for coordinating discovery and other pretrial proceedings.

Merck loses fight to block CEO testimony on Vioxx
Raymond V. Gilmartin, the top executive at troubled pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., could give testimony as soon as March in some of the dozens of lawsuits filed in New Jersey over Merck's withdrawal of its blockbuster arthritis drug Vioxx.

Vioxx Backlash Could Derail Future of Medicine
Critics of the pharmaceutical industry and the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) effort to modernize the drug development process are using the drug's link to a higher risk for heart attacks to raise questions about the FDA's safety review process and the value of new medicines overall.

FDA warnings
When the departing secretary of health and human services, Tommy Thompson, endorsed creation of a new independent agency to review prescription drugs after they are on the market, he helped save the proposal from getting buried under pharmaceutical industry opposition.

Celebrex, Bextra, Vioxx And Aleve All Have Heart Pains
Vioxx, also a Cox-2 inhibitor, was withdrawn from the market by Merck in September when a study showed it increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes by two times, compared with a placebo.

Some pain pill options may be easier to swallow
With painkillers Celebrex and Aleve possibly increasing the risk of heart attacks and stroke — and the withdrawal of Vioxx from the market this fall — those living with chronic pain certainly have fewer choices for relief.

Dollars, arthritis drugs: What you're buying
Would you pay more for a new arthritis drug that's no better at relieving pain than dozens of other drugs already on the market? Millions of Americans have done just that. Thanks to them, a class of pain relievers called COX-2 inhibitors - Pfizer's Celebrex and Bextra, and Merck's Vioxx - have become blockbusters. Celebrex is expected to bring in $3.3 billion this year. Vioxx accounted for $2.5 billion in sales last year.

Arthritis sufferers find acupuncture helps them function, relieves pain
The report is practically the only good news that people with arthritis have received lately. Researchers have reported an increased risk of heart disease and strokes associated with popular prescription arthritis drugs Vioxx and Celebrex, both COX-2 inhibitors.

COX-2 inhibitor drugs encapsulate risk, relief: No easy advice to swallow
Should we keep taking Celebrex and Aleve, even though a similar drug — Vioxx — was pulled from the market recently and federal health officials now say Celebrex and Aleve also might increase the chance of a heart attack or a stroke?

Study: Celebrex Safer on Heart Than Vioxx
A new study finds that Celebrex, the first in a family of stomach-friendly painkillers called cox-2 inhibitors, is safer for the heart than Vioxx, a similar drug that has been linked to cardiovascular problems. Cox-2 inhibitors, or coxibs, have come under fire since September, when Merck & Co. pulled Vioxx from the market after its researchers noted an increased heart attack risk in people taking the drug. Preliminary information shows that Bextra, another coxib, may have similar problems among patients with heart disease.

Questions raised over Michigan law that protects drug makers
Halvorsen handed him the painkiller Vioxx, a drug used to treat his rheumatoid arthritis. She went to bed and her husband stayed up. The next morning, Halvorsen found Gjebic lifeless in their Grosse Pointe Farms home, sitting upright on the couch, dead of a heart attack.

Merck Vioxx refunds revamped
The Merck pharmaceutical company has agreed to improve its consumer refund program for unused Vioxx, the popular prescription pain medication the company withdrew. A major change is that consumers no longer have to submit unused Vioxx to get refunds

Health Canada issues safety information on Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra & Mobicox
Health Canada wishes to inform Canadians of safety concerns regarding drugs known as COX-2 inhibitor NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) that include Vioxx (rofecoxib), Celebrex (celecoxib), Bextra (valdecoxib), and Mobicox (meloxicam)

Vioxx's troubles known years ago
Pharmaceutical researchers knew years ago that certain arthritis pain drugs could cause heart problems. In the past three months, Vioxx, Bextra and Celebrex are under scrutiny for risk of heart attacks and strokes. The drugs are known as COX-2 inhibitors

A New Painkiller's Painful Path
Pain treatment is very much in the news lately, with reports that Merck's Vioxx, Pfizer's Celebrex, and now Bayer's Aleve may all increase the risk of heart attacks. It's ironic that Celebrex and Vioxx were originally developed to remove the risk of bleeding ulcers associated with ibuprofen, aspirin, and other over-the-counter pain medications.

Laser Therapy May Be Considered by Arthritis Patients as a Safe VIOXX Alternative
In contrast to the virtually non-existent side-effects of laser therapy, NSAID side-effects cause an estimated number of 2000 deaths annually in Great Britain alone, because half of the 8.5 million osteoarthritis patients there take these drugs on a regular basis. The recent development is further moving the balance in disfavor of NSAIDs and coxibs, and may well be the end of the era where they served as reference treatment for osteoarthritis.

Vioxx refunds revamped
The Merck pharmaceutical company has agreed to alter and improve its consumer refund program for unused Vioxx, the popular prescription pain medication the company withdrew from markets earlier this year.

Health Canada issues safety information on Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra & Mobicox
Accumulating evidence indicates that the use of selective COX-2 inhibitor NSAIDs, in certain individuals, is associated with an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. The risk appears to increase with the total daily dose and the length of the treatment. However it is not possible to identify which patients would present a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

Vioxx, Celebrex and Aleve
Merck & Co.'s arthritis pain medicine Vioxx is off the market after studies cited an increased risk of heart problems. Pfizer Inc. this week halted advertising for its popular pain-reliever Celebrex on the same grounds. New warning labels are due for a companion Pfizer drug, Bextra, and even an over-the-counter alternative naproxin, commonly known under the Bayer brand name Aleve is under scrutiny.

Vioxx's troubles known years ago
Pharmaceutical researchers knew years ago that certain arthritis pain drugs could cause heart problems. Naproxen, marketed as Aleve, is the latest drug that researchers have questioned.

Drug warnings a muddle to arthritis patients
On Monday, the National Institutes of Health suspended the use of naproxen, the pain reliever that Bayer sells over the counter as Aleve, in an Alzheimer's disease prevention trial because those taking the drug had a 50 percent greater risk of heart attack and stroke than those taking placebos.

Sullivan: Vertical, Organic Search Deserve Attention
Search engine marketing guru Danny Sullivan urged search marketers to get familiar with vertical search opportunities, pay more attention to optimizing organic search listings, and consider adopting pricing models that do not undervalue their services.

Vertical Engines Cannibalizing Majors' Traffic?
Still in its early stages, the "verticalization" of search to industry-specific engines is beginning to be evident, particularly in the online shopping category, according to data released by Hitwise at the Search Engine Strategies conference in New York.

Vioxx case illustrates dual nature of drugs
The same study that killed the blockbuster arthritis drug Vioxx after showing that it had heart risks also found that the drug had a significant benefit: It prevented precancerous colon polyps in some patients, one of the study's principal researchers said.

Vioxx, Celebrex and Aleve: What's a consumer to do?
First it was rofecoxib (Vioxx), a drug so risky its manufacturer pulled it off the market overnight. Then it was celecoxib (Celebrex), a relative of Vioxx. And today it's naproxen (Aleve), another member of the pain medication class known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)

Juice 4 Joints Beverage Healthy Alternative to Arthritis Drugs
Uncertainty Surrounding Vioxx, Celebrex Causes Search for Alternatives. With news reports detailing risks associated with certain painkillers and arthritis medications, health conscious consumers are looking for more natural alternatives in not only dealing with pain, but also proactively preventing it.

Patients Urged to Follow Painkiller Labels
Officials are concerned that, in addition to Aleve, other commonly used NSAIDs such as Motrin and Advil (both brand names for ibuprofen) may also be shown to have problems.. Vioxx was pulled off the market in September. Its cousins, Bextra and Celebrex, have also been linked with these adverse events, although both are still available to consumers. Vioxx, Bextra and Celebrex belong to the class of NSAIDs called cox-2 inhibitors.

Life after Viox, latest news
Arthritis patients who took the drug Vioxx seek other ways to lessen swelling and aches. An alternative to both Cox-2 inhibitors and NSAIDs is Tylenol (acetaminophen). Most people prescribed Cox-2 inhibitors such as Vioxx, Celebrex or Bextra have ulcers or other gastrointestinal problems that prevent them from using the older NSAIDs.

A Brief History of Celebrex and Bextra after Merck pulls Vioxx from the market
Pfizer didn't have much time to take advantage of Merck's misery after withdrawing its painkiller Vioxx from the market. Two of Pfizer's arthritis drugs, which belong to the same class as Vioxx, are now under regulatory and investor scrutiny

Pharmaceutical industry limps into 2005
Regulators at the Food and Drug Administration are likely to take a more cautious approach about new drug approvals in the wake of Merck & Co.'s withdrawal from the market of the pain reliever Vioxx because of potentially lethal side effects. And the ensuing firestorm has yet to die down about whether Merck muzzled the drug's dangers to keep selling it. Vioxx latest news and latest vioxx news.

Awash in Vioxx Suits, Merck Is Recruiting Big-Time Help
With the initial glare of public scrutiny and market recoil over Vioxx behind it, Merck & Co. now is arming for another battle that will be key in determining the company's survival.

Vioxx, Celebrex and Aleve: What's a consumer to do?
First it was rofecoxib (Vioxx) — a drug so risky its manufacturer pulled it off the market overnight. Then the stain spread to celecoxib (Celebrex), a relative of Vioxx. Doctors can still prescribe Celebrex, but the ad campaign that made it a household name is over, at least for now.

Doctors issue warning on Bextra, too
Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra all are COX-2 inhibitors that relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Results of a cancer trial using Celebrex, released Friday by drugmaker Pfizer, showed a 2.5 fold increase in the risk of serious cardiovascular events among participants.

Pfizer defends arthritis drug CELEBREX
First it was Vioxx, recalled by Merck 11 weeks ago. Yesterday it was Celebrex, which long-term National Cancer Institute data shows more than doubles a user's risk of a heart attack. The difference is that drug-maker Pfizer Inc. still stands by Celebrex, insisting the NCI results conflict with many other studies showing the drug is safe and effective. Pfizer intends to keep the painkiller on the market until researchers can prove conclusively it's dangerous.

Celebrex woes won't be felt much in Valley
News that the top-selling painkiller Celebrex may increase the risk of stroke or heart attack if used in high doses is not likely to have much effect in the Lehigh Valley, say a local physician and pharmacist. Dr. Tom Meade, president of Orthopaedic Associates of Allentown, said many of his patients had switched from the cox-2 inhibitors that include Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx after reports that Vioxx could increase the risk factors for heart attack or stroke.

FDA'S sad slide: warnings went unheeded
Graham told the committee that Merck and the FDA ignored or minimized reports on Vioxx's problems. He said the FDA now sees drug companies as "clients," and is therefore "incapable of protecting America from another Vioxx." He cited other drugs he deemed unsafe or ineffective, including Bextra, Crestor, Meridia, Serevent and Accutane.

Study Shows Celebrex Could Be Just As Dangerous As Vioxx
When Celebrex and other drugs like it came out, they seemed to be the magic pill for what ailed arthritis sufferers. The class of drugs is called Cox-2 Inhibitors reduced inflammation and pain without causing nasty side effects.

Doctors say avoid Pfizer's Bextra, doubts raised about the safety of valdecoxib
Both Bextra and Celebrex drugs are members of the COX-2 inhibitor class of painkillers, which recently gained notoriety when Merck withdrew Vioxx after a study found it doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke

Arthritis drug 'a killer'
She was rushed to hospital with a major heart attack that damaged 40 per cent of the vital organ. She had an angiogram and stent inserted, then a few months later returned to hospital to have a defibrillator fitted. With no family history or other medical indicators, doctors told her she had had an "unexplained" heart attack. The fact she had been taking Vioxx for arthritis in her back since 2001 wasn't questioned until the drug was recalled.

Celebrex, Vioxx Scandals Prompt AIDS Group to Call for Ban on Consumer Drug Advertising
The pharmaceutical industry continues to abuse and manipulate a fast-track drug approval process the FDA first implemented for drugs and treatments for genuine life-threatening illnesses such as AIDS in order to bring hugely profitable and, as Celebrex and Vioxx demonstrate, increasingly deadly drugs to market

REVISED PROCEDURE FOR PATIENTS SEEKING A REFUND FOR UNUSED VIOXX® (rofecoxib)
If you are a patient who took VIOXX, you may be eligible to receive a refund for the amount you paid out-of-pocket for VIOXX that remained unused as of September 30, 2004. Merck strongly recommends that you return any unused VIOXX to the National Notification Center (NNC) in accordance with the instructions below.

Pfizer Claims Celebrex Safety in September: Day Vioxx Recalled
On September 30, the day Merck & Co. announced the recall of its COX-2 drug, Vioxx, Pfizer issued a news release expressing confidence that Celebrex did not cause heart problems, as found in the case of Vioxx.

FDA Issues Public Health Advisory On Vioxx
Merck is withdrawing Vioxx from the market after the data safety monitoring board overseeing a long-term study of the drug recommended that the study be halted because of an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes, among study patients taking Vioxx compared to patients receiving placebo. Vioxx latest news and latest vioxx news.

High Doses Of Popular Pain Reliever Vioxx Prescribed Despite Heart Risk
The evidence is growing: chronic, high-dose consumption of the arthritis pain reliever Vioxx can raise blood pressure and the risk of serious heart problems. The researchers counted the number of prescriptions for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including ibuprofen, naproxen, Celebrex and Vioxx.

Penn Epidemiological Study Shows Difference In Cardiovascular Effects Between Vioxx And Celebrex
In the first epidemiological study designed and executed specifically to determine the heart-attack risk associated with COX-2 inhibitors rofecoxib (Vioxx) and celecoxib (Celebrex), researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found a greater risk of heart attack associated with Vioxx than Celebrex.

Merck's drug Vioxx caused as many as 139,000 heart attacks, strokes and deaths.
Testifying before the Senate, Graham charged that Vioxx had killed between 28,000 to 55,000 people since the FDA placed it on a fast track for approval in 1999. The FDA approval came despite reports that Vioxx carried a high risk for heart attack and stroke. Internal Merck documents reveal that the company has known about the dangers of Vioxx for several years but suppressed the data and marketed it aggressively.

MYERS & OTHER AGS CONVINCE MERCK TO CHANGE ITS VIOXX REFUND PROGRAM
Attorney General Hardy Myers today announced that drug manufacturer Merck has agreed to significantly change its refund program for consumers who used its recently recalled prescription pain drug, Vioxx.

FDA Public Health Advisory: Safety of Vioxx
The Agency was informed by Merck & Co., Inc. on September 27, 2004, that the Data Safety Monitoring Board for an ongoing long-term study of Vioxx (APPROVe) had recommended that the study be stopped early for safety reasons. The study was being conducted in patients at risk for developing recurrent colon polyps. The study showed an increased risk of cardiovascular events (including heart attack and stroke) in patients on Vioxx compared to placebo, particularly those who had been taking the drug for longer than 18 months.

Merck Announces Voluntary Worldwide Withdrawal of VIOXX®
Merck Inc. announced a voluntary worldwide withdrawal of VIOXX® (rofecoxib), its arthritis and acute pain medication. There was an increased relative risk for confirmed cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, beginning after 18 months of treatment in the patients taking VIOXX compared to those taking placebo. Latest Vioxx news and Vioxx lastest news.