RESOURCES AND ARTICLES

08/19/05 - Vioxx® Verdict
Widow Awarded $253 Million in Nation's First Vioxx Trial
National Legal News
Angleton, Texas - A jury decided against Merck & Co. on Friday, ruling for the plaintiff in the United State's first Vioxx trial.

10/01/04 - Ax For Vioxx
Linked to strokes & heart attacks
New York Daily News - PAUL H.B. SHIN
Vioxx, a painkiller, was pulled off the shelves yesterday

10/01/04 - For Merck, Defense of a Drug Crumbles at a Difficult Time
New York Times - BARRY MEIER
For years, evidence mounted that the pain reliever Vioxx might increase the risk of heart attacks or strokes. For years, its maker, Merck, disputed such findings.

10/01/04 - MERCK PUTS NIXX ON 'DANGEROUS' VIOXX
New York Post - LEONARD GREENE and PERRY CHIARAMONTE
Pharmaceutical giant Merck rocked the medical and financial worlds yesterday with a bombshell decision to recall its popular arthritis drug Vioxx after a study revealed that it raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.

10/01/04 - Popular Arthritis Drug Recalled
Clanton Advertiser - Scott Mims
Arthritis drug and painkiller Vioxx is being recalled worldwide in light of new information that shows a potential higher risk of heart attack and stroke in patients.

10/01/04 - Vioxx Recall A Pain For Patients
Arthritis drug risk to health
The Arizona Republic - Kerry Fehr-Snyder
Heather McCreery-Choi swallowed her daily dose of Vioxx, an arthritis medication, on Thursday morning, then flipped on the morning news to learn the drug was being pulled from the market because it doubles the risk of heart attacks and strokes after 18 months.

10/01/04 - Arthritis Medicine Poses Heart Worries
Drug recalled when trial finds participants increased stroke risk
AP - LINDA A. JOHNSON
Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. is halting worldwide sales of its blockbuster arthritis drug Vioxx, once viewed as possibly being able to prevent some cancers, because new data from a clinical trial found an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Its stock price plunged more than 26 percent as the company said the recall will hurt its earnings.

10/01/04 - Drug's Withdrawal Puts Heat On FDA
Agency too reliant on drug company studies, critics say
San Francisco Chronicle - Bernadette Tansey
Suspicions that the arthritis drug Vioxx could cause serious cardiovascular damage arose as early as 1999, the year Vioxx was approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a next-generation remedy that might be safer than older drugs like ibuprofen.

10/01/04 - Doctors Unsurprised By Vioxx Withdrawal
Knight Ridder - FAWN VRAZO
While Merck & Co.'s sudden withdrawal Thursday of the blockbuster pain medication Vioxx may have left millions of patients confused and concerned, doctors and researchers say they aren't surprised.

10/01/04 - Merck Pulls Arthritis Drug
Vioxx linked to health issues
Washington Post - MARC KAUFMAN
The blockbuster arthritis drug Vioxx was taken off the market yesterday by Merck & Co. after a study confirmed simmering concerns that it significantly raised the risk of heart attack and stroke. More than 2 million people take Vioxx worldwide, making this the largest voluntary drug recall in history.

10/01/04 - Merck Pulls Vioxx, Citing Halth Rsks
Posted on Fri, Oct. 01, 2004
Philadelphia Inquirer - Linda Loyd
Merck & Co. Inc., in a sudden admission of problems with a blockbuster drug, said yesterday that it was withdrawing its Vioxx arthritis pain medicine because of an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

10/01/04 - Maker Takes Vioxx Off Market
Heart risk known earlier, some say
Boston Globe - Alice Dembner
Merck & Co. yesterday pulled the blockbuster pain medicine Vioxx off the market, announcing that a new company-sponsored study showed the drug doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke when taken daily for more than 18 months.

10/01/04 - Concerns Over Vioxx Raised In '01
NEWSDAY - JAMIE TALAN
In February 2001, Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic was part of an advisory panel put together by the Food and Drug Administration to address mounting evidence suggesting the popular COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx could increase risk of heart disease and stroke.

10/01/04 - Merck Estimates $2.5B Impact From Pulling Vioxx Plug
USA TODAY - Merck Estimates $2.5B Impact From Pulling Vioxx Pl
With that announcement Thursday, drug giant Merck ended the life of a pain-relief drug that was part of the most successful product launch in history when it hit the market in 1999.

10/01/04 - A Widely Used Arthritis Drug Is Withdrawn
new York Times - GINA KOLATA
The drug company Merck announced yesterday that it would stop selling its arthritis and pain medication Vioxx, currently taken by close to two million people worldwide, because a new study found that it doubled patients' risk of heart attack and strokes.

09/30/04 - Merck To Withdraw Vioxx Because of Heart Risks
www.dallasnews.com -
Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. is pulling its blockbuster arthritis drug Vioxx from the market worldwide because new data from a clinical trial found an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

09/30/04 - Arthritis Drug Vioxx Being Pulled Off Market
Reuters -
The arthritis drug Vioxx, used by two million people around the world, is being pulled off the market after a study confirmed long-standing concerns that it raises the risk of heart attack and stroke, the manufacturer, Merck & Co., said on Thursday.

09/30/04 - Merck Pulls Arthritis Drug From Market
Reuters - Ransdell Pierson
Merck & Co Inc. on Thursday pulled its arthritis drug Vioxx off the market because it increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, a move that sent the company's shares plunging, erasing $25 billion of its market value.

09/30/04 - Arthritis Drug Vioxx Pulled From Market
HealthDay - E.J. Mundell
The maker of the popular arthritis drug Vioxx is removing it from markets worldwide after a new study found that long-term users face increased risks for heart attack and stroke.

09/30/04 - Merck to Withdraw Vioxx Because of Heart Risks
Bloomberg -
Merck & Co. withdrew its Vioxx painkiller, which generated $2.5 billion in sales last year, because of a link to heart attacks and strokes. The company's shares slid as much as 28 percent, wiping out $28 billion in market value.

09/30/04 - Vioxx Users Should Consult Doctors, FDA Says
Merck is pulling popular pain drug due to heart risks
MSNBC -
In response to pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co.'s announcement that it is pulling its blockbuster arthritis drug Vioxx worldwide because of increased heart attack and stroke risk, the Food and Drug Administration advised patients taking the drug to consult their doctors about switching to another medication.

09/30/04 - FDA Issues Public Health Advisory on Vioxx as its Manufacturer Voluntarily Withdraws the Product
www.fda.gov -
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today acknowledged the voluntary withdrawal from the market of Vioxx (chemical name rofecoxib), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) manufactured by Merck & Co. FDA today also issued a Public Health Advisory to inform patients of this action and to advise them to consult with a physician about alternative medications.

09/30/04 - FDA Public Health Advisory: Safety of Vioxx
www.fda.gov -
Merck & Co., Inc. today announced a voluntary withdrawal of Vioxx from the U.S. market due to safety concerns. Vioxx is a prescription COX-2 selective, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that was approved by FDA in May 1999 for the relief of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, for the management of acute pain in adults, and for the treatment of menstrual symptoms. It is also approved for the relief of the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in adults and children.

09/30/04 - Merck Pulls Arthritis Drug Vioxx
Chicago Tribune - Bruce Japsen
In one of the largest prescription drug recalls in U.S. history, worldwide sales of the popular arthritis drug Vioxx were halted today after new data pointed to an increased patient risk for heart attacks and stroke.

09/30/04 - VIOXX:HEART AND STROKE WARNING
www9.sbs.com.au -
About 300,000 Australians prescribed the anti-arthritis drug Vioxx have been warned to stop taking the drug and visit a doctor after a clinical trial found an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

09/30/04 - Merck's Legal Nightmare
Forbes.com -
Merck's recall of its popular painkiller Vioxx after a big study found it increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes could set off the next big class-action feeding frenzy.

09/03/04 - Arthritis Drug Link To Heart Attack
www.theaustralian.news.com.au - Clara Pirani,
Patients taking the popular arthritis drug Vioxx have three times the risk of heart attack as people not taking the medication, new research suggests.

09/03/04 - FDA Nod Won't Guarantee Drug Safety
HealthDayNews -
A 60-year-old woman with degenerative disk disease recently came into Dr. Allen Lebovits' Manhattan office with a complaint. This time, the grievance wasn't about the pain but about news reports linking Vioxx, her pain reliever, with an increased risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths.

08/29/04 - Study May Prompt HMO to Change Its Vioxx Usage
FDA researchers say taking high doses of arthritis drug can raise risk of heart attacks
AP -
The nation's largest health management organization is considering changing how it prescribes Vioxx after a government study showed that high doses of the arthritis drug tripled patients' risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac death.

08/27/04 - Vioxx Faces Challenges from Insurers, Lawyers
Reuters - Kim Dixon and Ransdell Pierson
Merck & Co. faces a dual threat from health insurers and patients' lawyers, after a U.S. study suggested its Vioxx arthritis drug carries a greater risk than rival medicines.

08/26/04 - Study: Vioxx Dose Can Harm Heart
Bloomberg News -
The painkiller Vioxx increases the chance of heart attack and death from cardiac arrest more than Celebrex does, according to a large study financed by the Food and Drug Administration.

08/25/04 - FDA Study Finds Vioxx Increases Heart Attack Risk
Reuters - Ransdell Pierson
Patients taking Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx arthritis drug had a 50 percent greater chance of heart attacks and sudden cardiac death according to a new FDA study.

08/20/04 - Baby Aspirin Plus Vioxx Raise Ulcer Risk
Reuters -
By themselves, low-dose aspirin and the painkiller Vioxx are usually safe for the stomach, but together they can spell trouble, a new study indicates.

08/10/04 - Novartis Study Could Affect Pfizer, Merck
www.forbes.com - Robert Langreth
A giant clinical trial from Novartis could shed new light on whether a costly class of arthritis drugs causes potentially dangerous side effects. Vioxx, Merck's best-selling drug, could be particularly affected by the results.

07/14/04 - Painkiller Vioxx Often Taken at Too High Dose
WebMD - Sid Kirchheimer
Evidence continues to grow that the popular pain reliever Vioxx may cause high blood pressure, swelling, and other health problems. And with the latest study, there's a new concern: High rates of misuse of the popular arthritis remedy, with many patients taking daily doses at twice the usual recommended level.

06/30/04 - Vioxx Tied to Rise in Blood Pressure
Reuters - David Douglas
An increase in blood pressure may be more likely when the painkiller Vioxx rather than other similar drugs are used to treat arthritis, researchers report.

06/11/04 - More Are Suffering Gastric Bleeding From Pain Drugs
www.theglobeandmail.com - ANDRÉ PICARD
The popularity of a new generation of painkillers has led to a sharp increase in the number of people suffering from bleeding ulcers, according to a new study.

05/27/04 - Vioxx Found To Increase Heart Failure
www.webmd.com - Salynn Boyles
A new report from Canadian researchers shows an increased risk for heart failure among elderly people using the drug Vioxx. This comes after several previous studies have linked the widely used arthritis drug to increased heart attack risk.

04/20/04 - Vioxx Tied to Higher Heart Attack Risk
A study finds the odds were 24 percent higher than in those taking other arthritis drugs, but they dropped after three months
www.healthcentral.com - Amanda Gardner
A popular arthritis medication appears to increase the risk of heart attack, but only in the first three months after starting the drug.

04/08/04 - Painkillers Blamed For Infertility
Sydney Morning Herald - Julie Robotham
Women who want to become pregnant have been warned not to take the popular pain drugs Celebrex and Vioxx because of emerging evidence that they can cause temporary infertility.

03/14/04 - Aspirin, NSAIDs Tied to Miscarriage
HealthDayNews -
Pregnant women who take aspirin or painkillers known as NSAIDs have a strikingly higher risk of miscarriage, a study finds.

03/11/04 - Vioxx, Blood Pressure Medications Don't Mix
WebMD - Peggy Peck
The popular arthritis drug Vioxx is once again causing concern among heart specialists. This time, a study suggests that taking both Vioxx and high blood pressure medications doubles the risk of a heart attack.

10/30/03 - Vioxx Study Sees Heart-Attack Risk
Wall Street Journal - Thomas M. Burton and Patricia Callahan
Research presented at a medical conference this week suggests that Vioxx, a popular painkiller made by Merck & Co. , may increase the risk of heart attacks in patients taking the pill, Thursday's Wall Street Journal reported.

10/13/03 - Warning Over Common Drugs
The Age Company -
Commonly prescribed drugs for arthritis, depression and epilepsy have been linked to a range of potentially serious side effects including heart attacks, convulsions and birth defects.

06/06/03 - Nix's Lawsuit Moved to U.S. District Court
Hattiesburg American - Nikki Davis Maute
The lawsuit former University of Southern Mississippi football running back Derrick Nix filed against three pharmaceutical companies has been moved to U.S. District Court.

05/15/03 - Ailing Tailback Fights On
USA TODAY - Jill Lieber
The first player in Southern Mississippi history to rush for 1,000 yards in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, Derrick Nix was talking about leaving school after his junior year for the NFL. But in September 2000, a sprained ankle put him on a medical roller coaster. He battled a 50-pound weight gain from fluid retention, blood clots in the lungs, high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, anemia, light-headedness, exhaustion, vomiting and acute renal failure all while continuing to train and play, convinced he could manage the disease and make it to the pros.

04/12/03 - Nix to Get Brother's Kidney in Transplant
AP -
Former Southern Mississippi running back Derrick Nix will receive a transplanted kidney from his brother as soon as next month.

08/23/02 - Painkillers Come With Major Risks
Healthscout - Randy Dotinga
As medicine enters a new era of pain treatment, a researcher reminded thousands of doctors yesterday that popular painkillers are not without their risks.

05/27/02 - Studies Suggest Common Painkillers Might Delay Healing of Broken Bones
AP - LAURAN NEERGAARD
Broke your leg? Some doctors are warning to carefully consider which painkiller you use.

04/19/02 - Doctors Still Leery of Vioxx Over Heart Concerns
Reuters - Jed Seltzer
For prescription drugmaker Merck & Co. it's a pain that won't go away.

04/18/02 - Risks of Arthritis Drugs Studied
AP - LAURAN NEERGAARD
There's growing suspicion that switching from aspirin to a more stomach-friendly arthritis drug could increase some people's risk of heart attacks - and a study suggests the reason: a drug-caused chemical imbalance that spurs blood clots.

04/12/02 - Arthritis Drugs: Effective But Risky
ARIZONA DAILY STAR - Jane Erikson
Recent reports on the dangers of drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis have left patients and their doctors grappling with a complex risk-benefit equation.

04/11/02 - FDA Orders New Vioxx Labeling
AP -
Doctors reading the label of the popular arthritis drug Vioxx will now learn it may be linked to high blood pressure and a small but troubling increase in the risk of heart attacks.

03/25/02 - Non-Bacterial Meningitis Linked to Vioxx Use
Reuters Health - Faith Reidenbach
In a small number of cases, a rare side effect, aseptic meningitis, has developed in people taking the painkiller Vioxx, the US Food and Drug Administration(FDA) reported Monday.

03/24/02 - Report Links Vioxx to Menengitis
AP - LINDSEY TANNER
The popular painkiller Vioxx has been linked to five cases of a nonbacterial type of meningitis, a possible side effect that, although rare, is serious, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports.

09/30/01 - How Safe Are the New COX-2 Painkillers
Medscape - Michael Rush,
Michael Castellino is one of approximately 33 million people who take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like ibuprofen and diclofenac for pain (in his case, for osteoarthritis). "I can't live without my meds, but it was getting that I couldn't live with them either," says the 63-year-old New Yorker. He, like many others, began experiencing severe gastrointestinal (GI) pain and bleeding after about 6 months of regular NSAID use.

09/25/01 - Merck Tangles With FDA On Marketing
Forbes - Matthew Herper
Regulators are irked by Merck. The Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based drug giant is going to have to tone down some marketing claims it was making about arthritis treatment Vioxx that have not been proven to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) satisfaction. But Merck's hard sell might have helped Vioxx's long-standing battle with Pharmacia's competing drug, Celebrex.

09/04/01 - YOU AND ARTHRITIS DRUGS
Celebrex and Vioxx
Washington Post - Francesca Lunzer Kritz
An article in the Aug. 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggested that popular arthritis drugs Vioxx and Celebrex may increase the risk of cardiovascular events -- including heart attacks, strokes and chest pain. The news could affect millions of arthritis patients who currently use the drugs.

07/10/01 - Safety of Arthritis Drugs in Question
Vioxx, Celebrex May Up Risk of Kidney Failure, Heart Attack
WebMD - Steve Mitchell
A woman who developed kidney failure after taking the popular arthritis drug Vioxx has raised more questions about the safety of this and similar drugs.

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