Merck Vioxx News and Press Releases

Juice 4 Joints Beverage Healthy Alternative to Arthritis Drugs

Uncertainty Surrounding Vioxx, Celebrex Causes Search for Alternatives

CINCINNATI, Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- 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. Logic Juice 4 Joints(TM) combines the benefits of 1250 milligrams of glucosamine with 250 milligrams of chondroitin sulfate that can be enjoyed on the go in a non carbonated beverage in two great tasting flavors -- orange & mandarin and cranberry & apple.

Bextra, Celebrex and Vioxx are all in a class of pain drugs called cox-2 inhibitors, popular because of their effectiveness in treating the pain of arthritis and other ailments. But, according to reports from CBS News, Pfizer Inc. said it has "found an increased risk of heart problems with patients taking its painkiller Celebrex, a drug that is in the same class as Vioxx, which was pulled from the market in September because of safety concerns."

"We have become a society of pill poppers, but now there are excellent alternatives that taste great and are readily available," says Don Stables, Managing Director of The Health Company, who manufactures Logic Juice 4 Joints. "Providing Juice 4 Joints at convenience stores throughout the U.S. gives consumers a natural, physically beneficial drink alternative with supplements that are shown to help with arthritis and pain, without pills, without side effects and without the worries."

Research indicates that glucosamine and chondroitin are beneficial for the health of cartilage and connective tissue, while also helping to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis. These supplements are typically available in pill form, but liquid glucosamine has proven to have a significantly higher absorption rate than that of the solid form. Joint pain sufferers getting their supplements in liquid form may get more benefit from their supplements, and just might get benefits faster. It is also important for people who undertake regular exercise to protect the health of their joints and avoid problems in later life.

Recently, more and more clinical trials have begun to support the benefits of glucosamine and chondroitin for osteoarthritis and overall joint health and resilience. One recent study appearing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (February 2003) found that general mobility improved over time with glucosamine. The results began to manifest after about four to eight weeks of treatment. The most significant benefits, according to the study, were in reducing the amount of perceived pain.

Meanwhile, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), along with the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), launched a major clinical trial to study the effect of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate compounds in patients of osteoarthritis. Both the agencies appear to believe the supplements are "effective treatments that are key to improving the quality of life of Americans affected by osteoarthritis." The results of this multi-center glucosamine study will be available in 2005.

Logic Juice 4 Joints(TM) is a natural, fruit juice-based drink fortified with 1250 mg of glucosamine KCl, 250 mg of chondroitin and 60 mg (100 percent of RDA) of Vitamin C in each 11oz. can. Logic Juice 4 Joints(TM) is made with 24 percent fruit juice and natural spring water, contains no added sugar or artificial preservatives, and is non carbonated. Logic Juice 4 Joints(TM) uses glucosamine and chondroitin with over 95 percent potency -- significantly more than some tablets and liquid supplements. Juice 4 Joints(TM) is available in cranberry & apple flavor as well as orange & mandarin flavor. More information can be accessed at http://www.juice4joints.com .

The Health Company is the manufacturer of Logic Juice 4 Joints(TM), a glucosamine chondroitin drink that improves joint flexibility and mobility, and distributor of Peanotz soy nut snacks, a healthier alternative in convenience stores and grocers. The Health Company has its US base in Reno, Nevada and European headquarters in Surrey, England. More information can be accessed at http://www.thehealthcompany.tv .

FDA creates new drug safety board

16 February 2005 - The US drugs regulator, the Food and Drugs Administration, is creating a new drug safety board to monitor drugs already on the market in the wake of the storm over the deadly risks associated with the drug Vioxx. The drugs body, which has come under fire in recent months for failing to inform the US public of potential risks of newly licensed drugs, announced the creation of its Drug Safety Oversight Board on Tuesday.

"FDA understands that the public expects better and more prompt information about the medicines they take every day," says acting commissioner Lester Crawford. "Our goal is to prepare the agency for these new demands by improving the way we monitor and respond to possible adverse health consequences that may arise regarding drugs that have been approved for sale to US consumers." The new board will aim to make the agency's "review and decision-making processes more independent and transparent", it says.

But the announcement has met with scepticism from consumer groups and ethicists who question the FDA's closeness to the pharmaceutical industry and whether the independent board - to be staffed by members of the FDA and other government agencies - will have any real clout.

"Cruel hoax"
Currently, the FDA's Office of Drug Safety monitors drugs after they are licensed - learning about adverse events from drugs manufacturers and voluntary reports submitted by patients and doctors via its Medwatch programme. But it has been criticised for lacking independence and resources. The new drug safety board will share drug information more quickly and to a broader audience, the FDA promises.

But experts are dubious. "It's really a cosmetic way of dealing with a much more serious problem," says Sidney Wolfe, director of the non-profit Public Citizen Health Research Group in Washington, DC, US. "In the absence of any fundamental change, it's a cruel hoax." He has called for the FDA to pull two other drugs in the same class as Vioxx from the market - Celebrex (celecoxib) and Bextra (valdecoxib).

Others question the composition of the new board. "I'm a little surprised that the description of the board doesn't include outside advisory committees empowered to ask the hardest questions," Thomas Murray, president of the Hastings Center, a medical think tank in Garrison, New York, US, told Newsday.

Welcomed move
But representatives of the pharmaceutical industry have welcomed the move. A spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America says the group will support the FDA's efforts. "The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists applauds the FDA for its proactive decision on this issue," says Jerome Skelly, president of the non-profit organisation, made up of individual pharmaceutical scientists. "Discussing drug risks and benefits in such an environment is essential to maintaining public safety and protection."

The FDA came under fire when it emerged that data linking the anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx (rofecoxib) to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke had existed for years. The drug's manufacturer - Merck & Co., Inc - voluntarily withdrew Vioxx in September 2004. The drugs agency was also accused by one of its own researchers, David Graham, of hindering him in publishing his negative findings on the controversial drug.

New findings published on Wednesday further support the link between Vioxx and cardiovascular disease. The drug nearly doubled cardiovascular events when compared with placebo in the study of over 2500 people. Jeffrey Drazen, who writes an editorial alongside the research paper in New England Journal of Medicine, points out that previous trials suggest this might be an effect associated with the whole class of drugs - Cox-2 inhibitors - to which Vioxx belongs.

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