Vioxx Lawsuit
What is Vioxx? It is a trade name for a Cox-2 inhibitor that relieves pain without harming the digestive tract. Merck & Co., Inc announced a voluntary worldwide withdrawal of VIOXX® (rofecoxib), its arthritis and acute pain medication. The company’s decision, which is effective immediately, is based on new, three-year data from a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. In this study, there was an increased relative risk for confirmed cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, beginning after 18 months of treatment in the patients taking VIOXX compared to those taking placebo. If you need to speak to a Vioxx attorney to help you determine if you need to consider a Vioxx lawsuit or if you are already party to a Vioxx class action lawsuit or need assistance in any Vioxx litigation than this website can help you find just such an experienced lawyer.
What does Vioxx do? The most commonly prescribed class of drugs that includes aspirin, ibuprofen and other NSAIDs (non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs) work by blocking an enzyme called cyclooxygenase (COX). There are two forms of the enzyme, COX-1 and COX-2. COX-1 is expressed in lots of cells all the time, notably the lining of the stomach, where it regulates acid production. COX-2, on the other hand, was thought responsible for the bad effects of this enzyme, and is not present in most cells normally, only appearing when things are going wrong. The question was asked "what if we had a drug that only blocked the bad enzyme (COX-2) and left the one in the stomach (COX-1) alone? In 1999 we had our first answer as Celebrex (Pfizer) made it to the market, followed shortly by Vioxx. Very shortly both drugs made it into the top 20 sales chart, with Vioxx being prescribed to over 10 million patients in the US alone.
It turns out that COX-2 isn't just bad. In addition to its role in inflammation, it also plays an important part in controlling the cardiovascular system – stopping platelets from forming thrombi, preventing damage to vessels, that kind of thing. Not the sort of thing you want to stop, especially in the patient group these drugs are marketed at. Data from clinical trials had been conflicting on the cardiovascular side effects up until now, but a trial involving Vioxx and colorectal cancer had to be stopped after a huge increase in the amount of heart attacks and strokes compared to placebo.
If you have been injured as a result of using Vioxx and are considering a Vioxx lawsuit you will need the help of a Vioxx attorney that has the experience necessary to navigate the stormy legal waters.
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