Are there Alternatives to Vioxx?
If you used to take Vioxx, you should know that most people can get the same benefits from many other anti-inflammatory drugs. Celebrex is still on the market and should offer similar results. It's true that some people do benefit more from one drug over another. But, at this point, their choices are either Celebrex or one of the older anti-inflammatory drugs.
How widely has Vioxx been distributed?
Vioxx was released on the United States public in 1999 and has been marketed and distributed in more than 80 countries. (In some countries, the same drug is marketed under the trademark CEOXX). Worldwide sales of Vioxx in 2003 were $2.5 billion. Over Ninety One Million people in the United States have been exposed to Vioxx since it¡¯s release, and it is estimated that approximately 100,000 people have suffered a sever reaction to the drug, up to and including death.
What information should I be collecting prior to a Vioxx lawsuit?
In a legal situation, information is your friend. Since the recent withdrawal of Vioxx, patients have been advised to stay vigilant and report signs of any illness to their doctor as soon as possible. This will confirm that the patient is no longer in danger, and provide additional ammunition for patients that wish to pursue an individual or a Vioxx class action lawsuit. It is also critical that affected patients seek legal assistance as early on as possible, because this can provide the legal team with an opportunity to put together as strong a case as possible.
What are the supposed advantages of COX 2 inhibitors like Vioxx?
Vioxx was a medicine created and marketed by Merck. Vioxx was prescribed as a medicine that could treat pain due to osteoarthritis, menstruation caused pain in women and acute pain in adults. It belonged to a class of drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors. COX-2 inhibitors were thought to be much more effective in treating pain and inflammation without the gastrointestinal side effects such as stomach ulcers and bleeding. These types of problems were thought to be much more prevalent in users of other NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and naproxen. Before it was taken off the market, Vioxx was one of the most popular anti-inflammatory drugs in the world. It is estimated that 84 million people worldwide have used the drug, including 20 million in the United States.
How many heart attacks might be attributable to Vioxx?
David Graham, the associate director for science and medicine at the FDA's Office of Drug Safety, told the Senate Finance Committee that his agency's earlier projection that Vioxx may have caused roughly 28,000 heart attacks or sudden cardiac deaths was "an extremely conservative estimate." Graham said Thursday that the number of deaths alone may have been as many as 55,000.