Other AreasVioxx

The law firm of Early, Ludwick, Sweeney & Strauss is currently reviewing claims and representing people who have taken the drug Vioxx and have been injured.

On September 29, 2004 the anti-arthritis drug Vioxx® was withdrawn from the market by its manufacturer Merck & Co. In announcing its decision to pull Vioxx® from the market, Merck disclosed that data from its APPROVe study (Adenomatous Polyp Prevention on Vioxx®) demonstrated an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke for patients using Vioxx® for 18 months or longer. According to Merck, the APPROVe study did not demonstrate a similar risk for short-term users. The study was designed to assess the efficacy of Vioxx® in preventing the recurrence of colorectal polyps in a defined patient population.

The withdrawal of Vioxx® from the market came shortly after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Vioxx® for children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis on September 8, 2004.

While Merck has consistently denied that there is any valid association between Vioxx® and an increased risk of cardiovascular events, there has been mounting evidence to support such an association. Earlier this year, a retrospective study of approximately 1.4 million patients of a nationwide health insurer indicated that those taking more than 25mg of Vioxx® daily had a three-fold risk of cardiovascular events than those not taking it.