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Roberts and Roberts is presently accepting representation of people for purposes of investigating potential claims they may have for the consumption or use of Vioxx, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) manufactured by Merck & Co., Inc.
On September 30, 2004, Merck & Co., Inc. announced that it was voluntarily withdrawing rofecoxib (commonly known as Vioxx) from the United States and worldwide markets due to safety concerns regarding an increased risk of cardiovascular events. While the announcement of the recall was new, there has been mounting evidence in the past of a link between the use of Vioxx and cardiovascular problems.
Rofecoxib (Vioxx) is a cyclooxygenase 2-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in May 1999. It was originally approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis, for the management of acute pain in adults, and for the treatment of menstrual symptoms. The Food and Drug Administration later approved rofecoxib (Vioxx) for the relief of the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in adults and children.
Soon after its release, concerns began to be raised about the links between Vioxx and heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular problems. In June 2001, an article in the medical journal, The Lancet , suggested that Vioxx might have a potential to cause kidney damage. Then in August 2001, an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association raised concerns over the possible impact on cardiovascular health. In a statement issued by Sidney M. Wolff, M.D., Director of the Public Citizens Health Research Group, Dr. Wolff claimed that a randomized trial published almost four (4) years ago found that Vioxx caused a four to five fold increase in myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) in people treating with Vioxx compared to those treating with Aleve, Anaprox, or Naprosyn (standard NSAIDs). People with a history of heart problems appear to be particularly at risk.
In September 2001, the American Heart Association, the National Stroke Association, and the Arthritis Foundation all asked Merck & Co., the manufacturer of Vioxx, to investigate whether the drug did, in fact, increase risk of heart attacks and strokes. At approximately the same time, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to Merck because the company's ads for the drug failed to mention the increased risk of heart attacks. The eight page letter from the Food and Drug Administration stated in part:
"(Merck has) engaged in a promotional campaign for Vioxx that minimizes the potentially serious cardiovascular findings that were observed in the Vioxx gastrointestinal outcome research (VIGR) study, thus misrepresents a safety profile for Vioxx. Specifically, your promotional campaign discounts the fact that in the VIGR study, patients on Vioxx were observed to have four to five fold increase in myocardial infarctions (MI) (heart attacks) compared to patients on the comparative non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs."
While we applaud Merck's recall announcement in September 2004 to take rofecoxib (Vioxx) off the market, it appears that this recall may come many years too late for many Vioxx users.
If you have been using Vioxx, you may have sustained potential injuries. If you have questions or concerns about your use of Vioxx, please feel free to contact our office.
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