Merck Withdraws Vioxx From The Market Due To Safety Concerns
Developed and manufactured by Merck pharmaceutical company, Vioxx was approved for marketing on May 20, 1999, and withdrawn from the market by Merck on September 30, 2004. Vioxx is a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and is specific for COX-2 inhibition. Voixx was prescribed for the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, dysmenorrhoea (menstrual cramps), and pain management.
Vioxx Personal Injury Lawsuits
At the height of the Vioxx litigation, Attorney Eric Weinberg represented hundreds of individuals or their survivors, who had suffered serious injuries or died as a consequence of taking Vioxx. The firm filed over 300 cases in Atlantic County, New Jersey, and recovered over $45 million on behalf of Vioxx personal injury victims.
Vioxx Third Party Payer Fraud Cases
Mr. Weinberg currently represents the State of Utah in a lawsuit against Merck for the recovery of damages related to Vioxx expenditures. He previously represented the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in a similar case, which was settled by Merck.
Vioxx Complications
Vioxx has been associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Merck conducted multiple clinical trials, which demonstrated this risk, including the following clinical trials.
The VIGOR Study – Merck was severely criticized by the medical and scientific community for submitting a paper to the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in May 2000 that failed to include the actual number of patients who suffered heart attacks in a Vioxx study (known as “VIGOR”), as well as data on other cardiovascular events. Editors of the New England Journal of Medicine later issued an “Expression of Concern” stating that “inaccuracies and deletions” in the VIGOR manuscript that Merck submitted to the Journal “call into question the integrity of the data.” Merck refused to submit a correction to the Journal. NEJM editors stood by their call for a correction stating that Merck’s drug trial design “skewed” results.
The Alzheimers Studies – Merck conducted three clinical trials to determine if Vioxx could delay the progression, or onset of Alzheimer’s in patients in 2000 and 2001. The company hoped to use the safety data from the Alzheimer’s studies to disprove the cardiovascular risk results observed in VIGOR. Merck reported that contrary to VIGOR they did not observe an increase cardiovascular risk due to Vioxx. What Merck did observe however, was an increased death rate (or an increase in “all cause mortality”) in patients on Vioxx, as compared to patients on placebo. In addition, an Intent To Treat Analysis (ITT Analysis) of Merck’s date showed an increased cardiovascular risk in patients on Vioxx versus placebo.
The APPROVe Study – Merck ultimately halted an ongoing three-year clinical trial known as APPROVe, after preliminary study results demonstrated an increase relative risk for thrombotic cardiovascular events including stroke and heart attack.
Obtain a Free Vioxx Lawsuit Case Evaluation
The Weinberg Law Firm has represented thousands of individuals injured by dangerous, defective, or mislabeled medications, including for example, Vioxx, Pradaxa, Baycol, contaminated Blood Clotting Factors, and Ortho Evra. We have obtained over $800 million on behalf of the firm’s personal injury clients. For a free drug lawsuit case evaluation, please contact us at 1-877-934-6274.
