Vioxx and Bextra Lawsuits Could Tie Up Courts for Years

In September, 2004, pharmaceutical giant Merck voluntarily withdrew its painkilling medication Vioxx from the market. Studies show that Vioxx increases the risk of heart attack and stroke among patients who have used the drug for longer than 18 months. Vioxx, a drug from a family of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors, is one of only a few drugs specifically designed to minimize inflammation while avoiding the stomach disorders long associated with other anti-inflammatory medications. Since its introduction in 1999, Vioxx has been a huge success, and sales of the drug worldwide topped $2.5 billion in 2003. That is certainly a great deal of money, but it pales when compared to the amount that Merck stands to lose through product liability lawsuits, which will soon come to court. As of this writing, several thousand lawsuits have been filed nationally, but attorneys estimate that the total number of lawsuits filed could reach a staggering 100,000.

One hundred thousand lawsuits is certainly a formidable number, but that figure could represent only half of the number of lawsuits related to COX-2 inhibitors. Earlier this year, Pfizer voluntarily withdrew its similar medication Bextra from the market, as studies linked the use of Bextra to increased heart attack risk and to a rare skin disorder known as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. Bextra, another drug in the family of COX-2 inhibitors, works very similarly to Vioxx, and many patients who formerly took Vioxx switched to Bextra after the former was removed from the market last fall. Given that sales of Bextra rose to near Vioxx levels before it was removed from the market, it seems likely that the number of lawsuits filed by patients who claim to have been harmed by their use of Bextra could eventually equal the number of Vioxx lawsuits.

Unless the courts consolidate them into just a few class-action suits, the 200,000 potential lawsuits stemming from problems with Bextra and Vioxx could cripple our courts for the next decade. Patients who believe that they may have been harmed through the use of either Bextra or Vioxx would be well advised to contact an attorney who specializes in pharmaceutical lawsuits as soon as possible. The wait for a resolution in court, particularly for Vioxx lawsuits, could be a very long one. Those who file quickly may get the fastest results.

Vioxx Lawyer says: There are Many Valid Vioxx Concerns

The FDA approved Vioxx in 1999. It was intended to reduce the pain and
inflammation caused by osteoarthritis as well as menstrual pains. Afterwards,
the FDA approved Vioxx for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The drug,
which is a once-daily pill, was considered more effective than traditional pain
killers and to cause fewer gastrointestinal side effects.

What is Vioxx?

Vioxx is a COX-2 selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Vioxx is also related to the nonselective NSAIDs , such as ibuprofen and naproxen. Vioxx is a prescription medicine used to relieve signs and symptoms of arthritis, acute pain in adults, and painful menstrual cycles.

Minor side effects with the use of Vioxx include upset stomach, dizziness,
heartburn, vomiting and constipation. In March, 2002 an FDA report linked Vioxx
to five cases of a nonbacterial type of meningitis. In May 2002, a report
published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research stated that it may also
impede bone repair due to the arthritis drug inhibiting cox-2 (which assists
bone-forming cells in the healing process.)

The makers of Vioxx launched a three year study to confirm the relative
gastrointestinal benefits of Vioxx when compared to another pain medicine,
naproxen. The study did show that patients who took Vioxx had fewer ulcers and
other stomach ailments, but the shock of the study proved to be the greater
tendency to experience serious cardiovascular events when taking Vioxx.

In September 2004, Merck & Co., Inc., announced a voluntary withdrawal of Vioxx
from the market due to safety concerns of an increased risk of cardiovascular
problems such as heart attack, stroke, and blood clot. The study found that both
high and low levels of the medication increase the risk, but patients taking the
highest doses increase their risk of heart attack more than three-fold.

In Vioxx and naproxen test groups with more than 4,000 patients in each, Vioxx
users suffered 101 "serious cardiovascular events" and 20 myocardial
infarctions. That compared to 46 naproxen users who had cardiovascular events
and only four who suffered heart attacks.

If you have concerns about the safety of Vioxx, or if you have experienced
serious side effects associated with the drug, consult your doctor. It may also
be important to contact an attorney who can help protect your legal rights.
Please keep in mind that there may be time limits within which you must commence
suit.