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Vioxx Caution

Many legal and medical experts have claimed that Merck & Co. did not exercise enough Vioxx caution when concerns about their blockbuster drug's potential cardiovascular risks first became apparent. Vioxx was approved for use in the United States in 1999 to treat the pain associated with arthritis, primary dysmenorrhea, and other forms of acute and chronic pain. Statements have been made indicating that Merck & Co. knew about the cardiovascular risks associated with Vioxx before the drug was even approved but did not exercise enough Vioxx caution. Despite their doubts about Vioxx safety, Merck & Co. allowed the drug to enter the market and failed to adequately warn consumers about these risks.

Vioxx caution escalated after a clinical trial found that patients taking Vioxx for eighteen months were two times more likely to suffer from serious cardiovascular side effects than people in the general population. In response to this Vioxx caution, Merck & Co. voluntarily pulled Vioxx off the market on September 30, 2004. Approximately 20 million Americans had taken this prescription painkiller before Vioxx caution impelled its manufacturer to recall this defective drug.

Hundreds of lawsuits have already been filed against Merck & Co. since the recall, charging the pharmaceutical giant with failure to exercise Vioxx caution and adequately communicate the risks associated with this medication. Analysts estimate that the current litigation against Merck & Co. may eventually end up costing the company $10 billion or more.

In March 2000, Merck issued a statement about clinical trial evidence from a study called VIGOR which was conducted to compare the effects of Vioxx and naproxen (an original non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain medication). This press release stated that naproxen patients experienced significantly fewer thromboembolic events than those taking Vioxx. Merck suggested that this was no cause for Vioxx caution but that perhaps naproxen actually prevented these health complications. This statement was not based on any scientific findings, however, and the FDA ordered Merck to send a letter to doctors in order to clear up the confusion.

Many critics argue that the results of the VIGOR trial should have produced more Vioxx caution. These pundits suggest that Merck should have taken immediate steps to test the cardiovascular safety of Vioxx against a placebo to determine whether Vioxx caution statements were appropriate. It took another three years for the pharmaceutical company to admit the true health threats posed to Vioxx users, and take steps to remove this dangerous product from the market.

Because Merck failed to adequately exercise Vioxx caution, the health of millions of patients was put at risk for years, and many people suffered serious injury because of this negligence. The FDA has also been the subject of scrutiny for failing to properly assess the risk that Vioxx posed to consumers. If you would like to learn more about Vioxx caution, please contact us to confer with a qualified legal professional.

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More Vioxx Resources

MedLine Plus Drug Information - Guide to prescription and over-the-counter medications provided by the United States Pharmacopeia.

Vioxx.com - Official Vioxx Roxecofib site from Merck.

Vioxx Drug Warnings - Vioxx side effects information including lawsuit information and vioxx warnings.