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After our article on what to do if you have taken Vioxx and
how to find an attorney to handle your
Vioxx injury case (the drug that has now been recalled by Merck because it was found that taking the drug increased risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.)
there are additional developments to report. Well, there are more developments in the matter. Swiss researchers say that
Vioxx "should have been withdrawn several years
earlier," in a new analysis by the British journal The Lancet.
Matthias Egger, the study's co-author said Vioxx should have been pulled off the market by Merck several years earlier, but instead they continued to market the safety of rofecoxib (Vioxx)."
Dr. Richard Horton, Lancet editor, says, "With Vioxx, Merck and the FDA acted out of ruthless, short-sighted and irresponsible self-interest."
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 The Food and Drug Administration has concluded that more than 27,000 deaths could be attributed to Vioxx, based on comparisons with the histories of patients taking other painkillers.
The study, based on a sample of patient records, concluded that people taking Vioxx were more likely to have heart attacks or die from sudden cardiac arrest than people taking a competing painkiller,
Celebrex from
Pfizer.
Some experts believe that the drug may have been
over-prescribed because it was advertised too heavily directly
to consumers who pushed their doctors in prescribing it to
them. Committees in the United States House and Senate are investigating the F.D.A.'s handling of those issues. More hearings are expected.
Investment bank Merrill Lynch says
Merck's
Vioxx liability could be as high as
US$18 billion, based on an estimated 51,000 potentially successful lawsuits by patients claiming heart attacks or strokes.
Latest estimates put the number
of lawsuits at over 100,000 and Vioxx liabilities at $38
billion.
What should you do?
- Read our article on evaluate your options if you or anyone in your family may have taken Vioxx
(if you are not sure that you took Vioxx but have had pain, you must consult your doctor).
- Research the law firms (the number of law firms that are willing to help you in Vioxx injury cases is slowly growing) and make a short list of the firms that you would like to find out more about. Contact them and then pick one with which you find the best fit and work with them going forward.
Announcement: Latest news related to
Vioxx is available in the MYNIPPON news center focused on Vioxx
recall
Related:
Medtronic Sprint Fidelis defibillator recall
Vicodin recall |