Vioxx Litigation

On Sept. 30th, 2004 Merck & Co., Inc., the manufacturer of the popular painkiller Vioxx, along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, announced the voluntary removal of the drug from the market after a long-term study found that patients who took the medication had a substantially higher risk of heart attack or stroke.

Increasing evidence seems to suggest that Merck knew about problems regarding Vioxx (chemical name: rofecoxib) for some time, but may have failed to take appropriate action. For instance, as early as June of 2000, Merck submitted a safety study to the FDA that found an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events for Vioxx users.

In a more recent study of 8,000 patients taking either Vioxx or naproxen, Vioxx users suffered 101 “serious cardiovascular events” and 20 myocardial infarctions (heart attacks), compared to the 46 naproxen users who had serious cardiovascular events, and four who suffered heart attacks. Subsequent articles published in medical journals have also stated that Vioxx may increase the risk of stroke and kidney failure.

Since Merck launched Vioxx in the United States in 1999 it has been marketed in more than 80 countries, taking in $2.55 billion in sales in 2003 alone. From the beginning, however, questions have been raised about whether Vioxx is actually more effective in treating pain than traditional over-the-counter remedies.

After the first adverse report by Merck four years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued Merck a “Warning Letter” about the medication. It told Merck that an FDA review of the company’s promotional activities and materials for Vioxx showed they were “false, lacking in fair balance or otherwise misleading.” At that time the FDA also suggested that Merck had minimized and omitted important risk information about using Vioxx in tandem with other drugs.

If you have been using Vioxx, you may be at risk. You need to protect your future health and know your legal rights. Even more importantly, if you or someone you know has already suffered health problems or death due to the uninformed use of Vioxx, we can help. Our law firm, Lea, Rhine, Rosbrugh & Chleborowicz, P.L.L.C., is already representing numerous plaintiffs whose lives have been adversely affected by Vioxx. We have the resources to move forward on this complex litigation so that victims are both protected and compensated for their losses.

For an initial consultation and more information on the Vioxx issue, feel free to contact Lea, Rhine, Rosbrugh & Chleborowicz at (910) 772-9960, or toll free at (866) 772-9960. If we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.

As a leader in the area of product malfeasance litigation, you can count on us to provide quality expert legal assistance.