Merck's VIOXX®

VIOXX®

VIOXX® and other COX-2 inhibitors seemed like a good deal for drug companies and patients who needed a powerful analgesic that wouldn't upset their stomach. Merck made billions of dollars selling it, until a study showed it increased the risk of heart attacks. Litigation ensued, culminating in a $253.4 million judgment against Merck on August 19, 2005.

The Etopia Media Medical News Network articles collected here cover the bio-chemistry of VIOXX and related COX-2 inhibitors and various aspects of the bio-politics surrounding them.

8-20-05: As Merck loses first of 4,000 VIOXX lawsuits, six Etopia Media Medical News Network articles from the September 2004-January 2005 period provide extensive details about the issue (Etopia Media Medical News Network #84)

1-28-05: Researchers at the University of Chicago and Stanford University Medical Schools publish study showing that "increases in COX-2 inhibitor use among patients in whom NSAIDs could be used accounted for more than 63% of the growth in COX-2 inhibitor use during the period examined"

12-19-04: COX-2 inhibitor Celebrex® increases "cardiac event" risk just as COX-2 inhibitor VIOXX® does, but Pfizer, unlike Merck, chooses not to recall it

11-6-04: The Lancet confirms what Etopia Media Medical News Network reported a month ago, that Merck & Company should have known about the cardiac health risks of VIOXX® as early as 2000

10-4-04: The New York Times says that the "reason for the greater risk [of cardiac events in VIOXX® users] is not known; EMMNN offers a possible reason

10-3-04: VIOXX® risks have been known for years, other COX-2 inhibitors may be equally dangerous

9-30-04: Merck spokesperson discusses its recall of VIOXX®

 

Get in the swing with additional Etopia Media News Network articles and interviews and Google Alerts

To access additional, recent articles from the Etopia Media News Networks web site, as crawled and cataloged on the Google News web site, click here.

To sign up for Google Alerts whenever a new Etopia Media News Networks article appears on Google News, click here.

Join the "Etopia Media Medical News Network™" mailing list (unless you're already on another Etopia Media mailing list)

Just send an empty e-mail to emmnn-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.