Merck Voluntary Recalls Vioxx® After Experts Claim it Can Cause Serious Injury

Merck & Co Inc. voluntarily recalled the widely prescribed arthritis drug Vioxx® on September 30, 2004, amidst evidence that it drastically increased users' risk of heart attack and stroke. This Vioxx® recall is believed to be the most expensive drug recall in the history of the pharmaceutical industry.

The Vioxx® recall is so large that Merck suffered a 27 percent decrease (nearly $25 billion) in stock value the same day, thereby prompting a full 0.6 percent drop in the Dow Jones industrial average. According to financial reports, the makers of Vioxx® claim that the drug accounted for at least 10 percent of Merck's revenue in 2003.

A three-year study of 1,300 Vioxx® users found 15 cases of heart attack, stroke, and blood clots; this was three times the number reported among participants taking a placebo. Merck maintains this risk was relatively low, but it nonetheless was enough to warrant a Vioxx® recall to prevent further injury.

It is important to the note that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration didn't order the Vioxx® recall, although it did issue a public health advisory to all Vioxx® users about the recall and how Vioxx® can cause injury: anyone who uses Vioxx® should stop taking it immediately and talk to a doctor about an alternative medication.

Vioxx® is dangerous. If you have taken Vioxx®, you may be able to file pharmaceutical litigation claim today, as you may be eligible for compensation. Contact a personal injury attorney who specializes in pharmaceutical litigation today to find out more about Vioxx®, Vioxx®-related injury, the Vioxx® recall, and how to file a Vioxx® claim.

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