Vioxx Settlement

A Vioxx settlement is the repayment from a civil suit against the makers of Vioxx, Merck for damages from this defective drug. A Vioxx settlement can include compensation for expenses related to a Vioxx injury, loss of income or earnings, and pain and suffering. A Vioxx settlement can be given through an individual or class action lawsuit.

There are currently a number of Vioxx lawsuits that seek to compensate victims who have suffered serious Vioxx injury through a Vioxx settlement. For victims whose Vioxx injury has resulted in death, a Vioxx settlement might be awarded to the families or other beneficiaries in a wrongful death lawsuit. A Vioxx settlement can compensate a victim who has suffered a serious heart problem or stroke as a result of taking this pain medication.

Vioxx is a prescription medication that was approved by the FDA in May 1999 to treat the severe pain associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, primary dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramping), and other chronic conditions. Since the drug's debut on the US market, there have always been concerns about Vioxx safety. Vioxx, and its COX-2 selective cohorts, were originally developed as an alternative to other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications. These drugs had serious gastrointestinal side effects associated with their use. Vioxx was purported to have less gastrointestinal side effects than other NSAIDs such as naproxen.

A series of studies was conducted in order to measure the effects of Vioxx on various functions in the body. The VIGOR test was designed to test the gastrointestinal safety of Vioxx use. While fewer gastrointestinal side effects were associated with Vioxx use, the drug's makers did acknowledge that "significantly fewer thromboembolic events (heart attacks and strokes) were observed in naproxen patients." This statement was issued in March of 2000, but it was not until 2004 that the full weight of these risks was revealed.

On September 30, 2004, Merck voluntarily pulled Vioxx off the market after internal studies found that patients taking Vioxx were at a much higher risk of suffering stroke or heart problems than were patients who were not taking this pain medication. This clinical trial was originally designed to test the effects of Vioxx use on the colon. The study was cut short after patients who were taking Vioxx for more than eighteen months experienced heart attacks or stroke at twice the rate of patients in the control group.

While this drug has been recalled and is no longer available for use, there are many patients who may have already suffered the serious side effects- including heart problems and stroke- associated with Vioxx use. Victims who have been injured as a result of taking Vioxx may be eligible to seek compensation for their losses through a Vioxx settlement.

Vioxx Side Effects

Introduced and approved in May 1999 under the generic name of rofecoxib, Vioxx has been widely prescribed and used as a cox-2 inhibitor to treat osteoarthritis, menstrual cramps and adult pain. This drug was welcomed as a much-needed, unique product that could offer the benefits of a traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug without the associated gastric problems that were part and parcel of other NSAID treatments. The reason that other drugs came with such side effects was that they inhibited cox-1 enzymes as well as cox-2 enzymes. As cox-1 enzymes are essential for protecting the lining of the stomach, the result of this was often massive gastric problems. However, vioxx was able to isolate the cox-2 enzyme without affecting the cox-1, which means that the risk of gastric side effects was vastly reduced.

However, unknown to medical professionals and patients, vioxx side effects were far more serious. It was recently discovered that vioxx could lead to a significant increase in the risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients that have been taking the medication for around eighteen months or more. As with all drugs, there are other less serious vioxx side effects as well, but these recent revelations have resulted in vioxx being withdrawn from the market. Since the manufacturer of vioxx, Merck, recalled the drug from the US market in September 2004, allegations have started to circulate, claiming that Merck knew about this potentially fatal vioxx side effects before the drug was even approved by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), and yet they went ahead and marketed the drug as a safe and reliable one.

Medical professionals have advised that anyone that has been taking Vioxx on a long term basis should seek medical assistance to check for vioxx side effects. Even those that have only been taking the drug on a short term basis may wish to visit their doctor for a check up and further information on the possibility of vioxx side effects. The possibility of severe vioxx side effects is expected to spawn a vast number of surgery visits, as well as a large number of compensation claims and lawsuits. For those that have suffered severe vioxx side effects – particularly if it turns out that the manufacturer knew about these possible effects prior to approval – the payout could exceed six figures.

Vioxx Lawyer :: Vioxx Attorney

Vioxx was withdrawn from the U.S. market in 2004. The manufacturer of Vioxx has announced a voluntary withdrawal of the drug from the U.S. and worldwide market. This withdrawal is due to safety concerns of an increased risk of cardiovascular events (including heart attack and stroke) in patients taking Vioxx.

Vioxx is in a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Vioxx works by reducing substances that cause inflammation, pain, and fever in the body.

Merck & Co. removed its blockbuster arthritis drug Vioxx (Generic: Rofecoxib) from the market worldwide because new data from a clinical trial found an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Merck decided to remove the drug from the market on September 30, 2004, after data from the trial showed an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots and other cardiovascular complications.

The data comes from a three-year study aimed at showing that Vioxx at a 25 milligram dose prevents recurrence of polyps in the colon and rectum. The trial was stopped after Merck discovered the higher heart risk compared to patients taking dummy pills.

Before the withdrawal of Vioxx, the FDA announced that patients taking Vioxx have a 50 percent greater chance of heart attacks and sudden cardiac death. he study, presented at an epidemiologists conference, also found patients taking the highest recommended daily dosage of Vioxx had three times the risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death as those not taking standard painkillers.