Vioxx risks can occur within 2 weeks: Canada study

	Tweet

The risk of taking the painkiller Vioxx is more acute than previously thought, according to research published online Tuesday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

One quarter of patients who suffered a heart attack did so within the first 2 weeks of taking their first Vioxx prescription, a McGill University Health Center study revealed.

“The additional cardiovascular risk from Vioxx actually decreased with longer duration of use, suggesting that the period of highest susceptibility for most people taking Vioxx may occur earlier than previously believed,” said Linda Levesque, the lead author of the study.

Merck & Co. Inc. pulled the $2.5 billion-a-year drug from the market in September 2004 after a study showed Vioxx doubled heart attack and stroke risk for patients who took it for 18 months or longer.

A Texas jury found last month that the painkiller caused the death of a 71-year-old man who had taken the drug for less than 1 month, and awarded his family damages of $32 million.

Merck faces about 10,000 Vioxx related lawsuits.

The Canadian study assessed the pattern of cardiovascular risk in seniors over a 3-year period to establish the timing of the Vioxx risk.

RELATED STORIES:
China drug scams challenge pharmaceutical firms   Rx Drug Errors Spike at Start of the Month   Merck sought to reformulate Vioxx in 2000   No increase in stroke risk with non-aspirin NSAIDs   Experts raise questions about Vioxx decision   Drug used worldwide doubles risk of kidney failure   Avosentan Reduces Proteinuria but Causes Serious Side Effects   US warns about risks of Boehringer AIDS drug   Judge sees Vioxx lawsuit lasting rest of decade   No illegal drugs in Winehouse toxicology report   Prescription Opioid Abuse, Addiction Less Common Than Many Believe   Merck to pay $950 million to settle U.S. Vioxx charge

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]