Vioxx® Lawsuit Information

If you have taken Vioxx®, it is imperative that you have comprehensive information about the drug. You also need to know how to proceed should you want to present the makers of Vioxx® with a lawsuit. If you have been harmed by Vioxx®, especially if you've suffered a heart attack or stroke, you should consult a Vioxx® attorney. An experienced litigation attorney can advise you on the steps of a successful lawsuit and help evaluate your claim, as well as ensure that you understand the effects of Vioxx® and why you have suffered a heart attack, stroke, or other ailment. Having a good attorney can increase your chances of getting the compensation your deserve for your Vioxx® - related injury.

Vioxx® Information

Vioxx® is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) intended primarily to treat the symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, acute short-term pain, and severe menstrual cramps. It is available in both liquid and pill form.

Classified as a Cox-2 inhibitor drug and as an NSAID, Vioxx® blocks Cox-2 enzymes that cause the inflammation and pain associated with these conditions, primarily arthritis. The problem is that NSAIDs, particularly Vioxx®, can also cause injury, oftentimes leading to stomach irritation, stomach ulcers, intestinal bleeding, heart problems, liver and kidney damage, and even death if used for prolonged amounts of time.

On September 30, 2004, the makers of Vioxx®, Merck & Co Inc., voluntarily recalled Vioxx® after information from a long-term study linked the drug to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and blood clots. Vioxx® study information proved users are twice as susceptible to these ailments as nonusers. Further, this evidence suggests that regular Vioxx® use can cause complete heart failure within 18 months of the first dose.

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not mandate the Vioxx® recall, it did issue a public health advisory encouraging Vioxx® users to cease using the drug immediately and to speak to their physicians about alternative medications, such as Bextra® and Celebrex®, which offer many of the same benefits as Vioxx®.

Vioxx® has serious side effects and has been deemed dangerous. If you have taken Vioxx®, you may be entitled to compensation, especially if you have suffered a heart attack or stroke. Contact a Vioxx® attorney who has the experience and clout needed to help you file a successful Vioxx® - related lawsuit.

Did Merck (the maker of Vioxx®) Know Vioxx® Was Dangerous?

Some experts believe that Merck may have been aware of the drug's possible dangers. They claim that the company submitted Vioxx® for approval despite rumors that its studies were flawed. Others have pointed to the fact that Merck was competing with the manufacturers of Bextra® and Celebrex®. However, Merck has denied such accusations, reiterating that they knew nothing of Vioxx®'s dangers until September 2004, at which time it promptly pulled the drug from the market.

When the news of flawed studies was exposed, the FDA mandated in April 2002 that Merck revamp its Vioxx® label information to read: "Serious problems from stomach ulcers, such as bleeding, are well-known complications in people treated with NSAIDs."The FDA also cracked down on Merck for its overzealous advertisements, stating that the claims were "false, lacking in fair balance, or otherwise in violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and applicable regulations" and that the heavy promotion of the drug was causing crucial information about the drug's risks to be dangerously overlooked.

Additionally in 2002, Merck announced that Vioxx® may be linked to an increased risk of cardiac problems, including heart attack and stroke. A study published two years earlier in The New England Journal of Medicine supported this, announcing that 20 patients on Vioxx® suffered heart attacks in comparison to just four patients on the placebo. However, Merck undermined these findings by highlighting how Vioxx® could prevent the recurrence of cancerous or potentially cancerous colon polyps. Incidentally, Vioxx® lawsuits are pending as a result.

Around this time, Merck launched a new three-year study of 1,300 Vioxx® users, hoping to disprove theories that linked Vioxx® to a slew of serious side effects and types of injury, ranging from heart attack, stroke, and blood clots to kidney damage, stomach bleeding, and stomach ulcers. Upon completion of the study, Merck found that Vioxx® was to blame for approximately 15 cases of stroke and/or heart attack - more than twice the number of cases found among study participants who had been taking a placebo. Soon after, Merck voluntarily recalled Vioxx® - which is certainly better for the company's reputation than if the drug had been formally removed from the market by the FDA - but for many Vioxx® users, the damage had already been done.

When to File a Vioxx® Lawsuit with an Attorney

Vioxx® is believed to be a defective and dangerous drug. If you are one of the millions of Americans who have used Vioxx®, you may be entitled to compensation. You can file a Vioxx® pharmaceutical litigation claim if you have taken Vioxx® and experienced cardiac thrombosis, heart complications, liver damage, kidney damage, a heart attack, or a stroke. An experienced Vioxx® attorney can evaluate your particular situation and, if you have a legitimate claim, help you move forward with a Vioxx®- related lawsuit against Merck & Co Inc., the manufacturer of Vioxx®. A Vioxx® attorney can also offer the information, legal expertise and resources you need to win your case. To learn more, contact a Vioxx® stroke and heart attack attorney today.

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