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Vioxx use can prove fatal

Vioxx was developed and patented by Merck & Co., Inc. to help relieve sufferers of arthritis and acute pain. The drug blocks production of a certain chemical in the body that causes painful inflammation, fever, local swelling, and tenderness. It has been found to be extremely effective for a number of afflictions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, menstrual cramps, and severe headaches. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Vioxx for commercial sale in 1999, and it quickly became one of the most prescribed drugs in the United States, with $2.3 billion in sales at its height in 2003.

Vioxx is part of a class of medication called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). The class includes a range of other drugs such as Celebrex, naproxen, and ibuprofen, all of which act as pain and inflammation inhibitors. Vioxx was considered one of the elite in this class because it is a specialized drug that targets the COX-2 gene responsible for causing pain and inflammation, and not its sister gene COX-1, which is responsible for maintaining the stomach lining. Some other drugs in this class do affect the COX-1 gene, causing ulcers and other gastrointestinal afflictions. The benefits of such a specialized drug are clear.

But for years Vioxx was rumored to also cause heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems including strokes. The Vioxx Gastrointestinal Outcomes Research (VIGOR) trial, published in March 2000, proved that Vioxx users were much safer from gastrointestinal side effects. But what it also found was that they were also five times more likely to die from heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.

Merck immediately denied that this was the case, in effect stating that naproxen, the drug used to measure Vioxx against, had special properties that helped reduce the risk of heart problems. In other words, the results of the study reflected naproxen’s positive affects on the heart and did not prove that the Vioxx formula was defective. And many throughout the medical and scientific communities accepted this as truth.

Still the signs were there early on, even in Merck’s own sponsored studies, that Vioxx did indeed cause heart attacks. A recent report from a British medical journal reviewed many of these past studies and found that “the evidence showing that Vioxx caused significant adverse events was apparent well before data… triggered Merck's overdue intervention.” But because researchers were not looking for signs of heart problems, the data wasn’t analyzed properly. Even the data gathered in the early VIGOR trial would have shown a direct link between Vioxx and heart problems if it had been analyzed.

If you or a loved one has been hurt by long-term or short-term use of Vioxx, contact a Vioxx lawyer at Jim S. Adler & Associates. Your rights as a consumer may have been severely compromised due to this unsafe drug. Don’t suffer the consequences alone. We can help you get the compensation you deserve. Click on the link on this page for a free case review.