Vioxx by Merck

Vioxx (Rofecoxib) a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) was introduced to the market in 1999.  In 1994, Merck’s R&D program discovered Vioxx, one of a group COX-2 inhibitors, COX-2 inhibitors include over the counter medications such as Advil (ibuprofen) and Aleve (naproxen) that serve to reduce both pain and inflammation.

From 1994 through 1999, Merck navigated the Food and Drug Administration approval process, one that has incremental steps for approval. In May 1999 approved Vioxx for the relief of osteoarthritis symptoms and management of acute pain.

Merck made billions on profits from Vioxx. Vioxx was one of the major sources of revenue for Merck while on the market: It was marketed in more than eighty countries with worldwide sales totaling $2.5 billion in 2003.

In September 2004, Merck was forced to take Vioxx off the market after a three-year study demonstrated that Vioxx doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients taking it for at least eighteen months. According to an epidemiologist study done by Graham, an FDA scientist, Vioxx has been associated with more than 27,000 heart attacks or deaths.

A May 2006 study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal stated that Vioxx may raise the risk of heart attacks for patients who took the RX for less than two weeks.
Vioxx by Merck