What's The Latest In Vioxx

Are you a Vioxx victim? Here’s something you have to know.

Many people from all over the world were victimized by this drug. The Vioxx was produced by Merck and Pharmacia. It comes in liquid and pill form. It is a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is used to relieve osteoarthritis, rheumatic arthritis and acute pain. NSAID is referred to as drug with analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects. It reduces pain, fever and inflammation, such as muscle strain or sprain. NSAID is sometimes called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent or NSAIA. Aspirin and ibuprofen belongs to this class.

The Vioxx also contains cyclooxygenase, an enzyme that controls inflammation. It belongs to the COX-2 inhibitors. COX-2 has been good cure for arthritis pain, which afflicts tens of millions of people in the world. The Vioxx works by blocking COX-2 enzymes in the body that trigger pain and inflammation.

However, very relieving as it may sound, this arthritis drug rofecoxib was proven to cause and doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Class action suits filed against Merck begun in 2002. Doctors told their patients about the bad effects this drug cause. In October 5, 2004, a worldwide class action lawsuit against Merck and Co. was filed.

In September 30, 2004, Merck officially announced of voluntary recall of Vioxx from all markets worldwide. A warning was issued to prevent people from taking the Vioxx and to return all unused pills. It also causes other life-threatening diseases, such as, blood clots, angina and nonbacterial meningitis, severe intestinal damage, ulcerations and bleeding, and kidney damage. Other minor side effects include flu symptoms, weakness, loss of appetite, rash or pail skin, swelling of hand feet and other extremities.

Many blamed the Food and Drug Administration or the FDA, because it is its duty to assure people of harmless foods and drugs. Also, the FDA was blamed for giving Merck a fast-track, 6-month approval process. Vioxx was distributed in the United States in 1999. They want FDA to push drug companies to conduct longer tests before they can sell it so that people are given the right warning.

by: Blur Loterina

Vioxx Recall Lawsuits

The drug Vioxx is a COX-2 inhibitor designed by the company Merck Inc. It was ordered to be pulled from American and European markets on April 7th 2005 after it was discovered that there were potentially deadly side effects from its use.

Doctors and researchers both believed that the drug Vioxx could cause cardiovascular problems and recently a Texas jury awarded a $253.4 million wrongful death settlemtn to the widow of a man who allegedly died from Vioxx-related complications.

Experts will now agree that Merck knew of the danger the Vioxx presented, but instead chose to market the drug as a safe way to reduce pain and inflammation. This terrible misjudgment has lead to a variety of dangerous and deadly complications including deep vein thrombosis, stroke, pulmonary embolism, blood clots and other serious heart damage.

Currently there are 4200 pending lawsuits filed against Merck. Friends and families of Vioxx victims must attempt to pick up their shattered lives and face the reality that negligence, deception and greed have robbed them of their loved ones. Merck gambled with the pharmaceutical industry and lost.

If you believe that you may be affected with Vioxx complications please take a stand. Drug makers are hoping that victims of Vioxx will remain silent due to fear and intimidation. A Vioxx lawsuit might be the most effective way to show Merck and other drug makers that they must be accountable for their actions.

by: T.Going

That Was Vioxx... Concerns Your Health

Want a new cure for your illness? Think again. We have enough drugs to give us more than just headaches. Some drugs will not reveal its true and long term effect until you start to feel it more often.

We all know that drugs have side effects. How can it cure one part of your body without affecting the other parts? Drugs that are swallowed do not target only the part they are intended to cure. They are transported by our blood so they can go anywhere inside our body. We should be more aware of the drugs that relieve us of certain ailments but can cause us a more complicated disease in the future.

Are you familiar with Vioxx? It has been on the headlines for days. This controversial drug was used by about two million people worldwide.

Vioxx is prescribed to relieve osteoarthritis, rheumatic arthritis and acute pain. Produced by Merck & Co., it comes in a liquid and pill form. It is a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). NSAIDs refer to drugs with analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects, which reduce pain, fever and inflammation, such as muscle strain or sprain. They are sometimes called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents or NSAIAs. Examples of which are aspirin and ibuprofen.

Vioxx also belongs to a class of drugs called COX-2 (cyclooxygenase) inhibitors. Cyclooxygenase is an enzyme that controls inflammation. The Vioxx works by blocking COX-2 enzymes in the body that trigger pain and inflammation. COX-2 has been a major source of relief from arthritis pain, which afflicts tens of millions of people in the world.

In 2002, the company received complaints regarding their product. Market studies confirmed that Vioxx raises the risks of serious cardiovascular events including heart attacks and strokes, as well as other life-threatening side effects, such as, blood clots, angina and nonbacterial meningitis, severe intestinal damage, ulcerations and bleeding, and kidney damage. Other minor side effects include flu symptoms, weakness, loss of appetite, rash or pail skin, swelling of hand feet and other extremities.

It was not until September 30, 2004 that Merck officially announced of voluntary recall of Vioxx from all markets worldwide.

So, here is a lesson we have to learn. We can not trust any drug, even if it is produced by leading companies. You will never know what it is going to cause you. Always ask for a doctor’s prescription. Learn from experience and do not just go for new things that come your way. It’s very risky, especially if it concerns your health.

by: Blur Loterina

Vioxx Withdrawl

On Sept. 30, 2004 Merck announced a worldwide withdrawal of Vioxx® (rofecoxib). Vioxx had previously been prescribed in the treatment of arthritis and pain. Worldwide sales of Vioxx in 2003 were an estimated $2.5Billion and the drug was marketed in more than 80 countries around the world. This is one of several recent pharmaceutical products to have been put in the spotlight by both the national media and plaintiff lawyers.

Since sometime in the mid to late 90s a substantial number of pharmaceutical medications and medical devices have been removed from the market due to possible adverse health implications. The FDA acts as a regulatory body in approving health related products before they are marketed to consumers. The FDA moved to ban Ephedra in the US in 2004. However, the recent headlines about voluntary drug withdrawals have produced questions as to the FDA's recent performance.

Many people believe that the FDA did not test the drugs rigorously enough to determine all the possible health problems that they might cause. People believe that the rise in litigation over these medications was due to the fact that the FDA now allows pharmaceutical companies to “fast track” their products and get them through the process in a year. In fact, Vioxx was only released in 1999.

Some of the latest drugs where concerns have also arose are Bextra, Celebrex and Zyprexa. Litigation over these drugs may commence in the near future. US plaintiff lawyers have begun to put some serious time and research into possible claims that may arise from pharmaceutical drugs. Plaintiff lawyers also handle Mesothelioma, Car Accident, and a wide variety of different personal injury cases.

If you think that you may have been injured by a prescription drug that has recently made headlines, you may consider consulting with a lawyer. Many plaintiff attorneys handle cases on a contingency basis.

by: Richard Martin