Vioxx Lawsuit and Side
Effect Information

Vioxx side effects have been serious enough for patients to file Vioxx lawsuits. It's estimated that Vioxx may have caused 27,785 heart attacks and strokes.

Vioxx Overview

Merck submitted their application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 1998 for Vioxx based on clinical trials. Merck didn't indicate there was a significant heart attack risk.

The FDA approved Vioxx (Rofecoxib) in May 1999 as a pain reliever for arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and severe uterine pain during menstruation. Direct marketing to the consumers made everyone want to try the "new" drug, also called Ceoxx and Ceeoxx.

Vioxx was sold to more than 92 million patients in the US. It's estimated that worldwide, over 80 million people took Rofecoxib. The year before it was yanked off the market, Merck made at least $2.5 billion in sales, making Vioxx one of the most widely used drugs to ever be withdrawn. When the side effects started making headlines, patients asked their lawyers about filing a Vioxx lawsuit.

Merck got the first results from the VIGOR trial indicating a higher risk of heart problems in patients taking Vioxx. The FDA started hearings about the results of the VIGOR trials. It wasn't until April 2002 that Vioxx got a revised label mentioning heart risks.

By the time was Rofecoxib was recalled (September 30, 2004), there were about 2 million patients using Vioxx worldwide, a figure that included the estimated hospitalization of 100,000 patients, and possibly as many as 10,000 - 15,000 deaths.

Reportedly there is evidence that Merck was aware of the deadly side effects (heart attacks/strokes) as early as 2000, four years before the drug was recalled. This information is crucial in a Vioxx lawsuit.

As of October 31 Merck admitted to knowing about 375 personal injury suits over Vioxx side effects.

Vioxx Side Effects & Other Concerns

For a drug that supposedly has few side effects, the list of things it may cause are quite astonishing. They may include viral syndrome, upper extremity swelling, trauma, fainting, peripheral swelling, pelvic pain, infections, fungal infections, flushing, fluid retention, fever, chills, chest pain, abscesses, abdominal distension/tenderness, cysts and diaphragmatic hernia.

Vioxx heart symptoms may include venous insufficiency, rapid heartbeat, palpitations, hematoma, atrial fibrillation, premature ventricular contractions, slower than normal heart rate, and angina pectoris.

Vioxx digestive side effects may include acid reflux, hemorrhoids, infectious gastroenteritis, dental problems such as cavities, gum infections, lesions and ulcers, vomiting, constipation, gas and dry mouth.

Vioxx may also cause migraines, muscular spasms, sciatica, vertigo and somnolence, anxiety, depression and confusion. Patients may also experience lung congestion, coughing, asthma, respiratory infections and pneumonia. Their skin may react and present with atopic dermatitis, basal cell carcinoma, cellulitis, rashes, hives and herpes simplex and zoster.

Lawsuits of note against Merck have been and are for:

* Fosamax - bone metabolism regulator that cause osteonecrosis

* Whistleblower Lawsuit/Pepcid - that Merck violated federal law by not offering the government the same deep price discounts it gave to hospitals

* ERISA lawsuit - company violated employee retirement income security act laws managing its employees investments

* Vytorin lawsuit - that Vytorin was a combination of the drugs Zetia and Zocor promoted as being more effective than Zocor alone, but it wasn't any more effective than less expensive drugs

* Drug Pricing Probe/Washington Attorney General - fined $650 million for fraudulent drug pricing and improper kickbacks

* Class Action Lawsuit/Medicaid - overcharging Medicaid for drug

* MMR Vaccine - causing autism and other life threatening side effects

Vioxx Lawsuits

In 2005 a Texas jury voted against Merck in the first Vioxx product liability trial. The award was $253.4 million in economic and punitive damages.

The first federal trial over Vioxx started in November 2005 in Houston, Texas. It was a hung jury and a mistrial was declared. On retrial Merck was found not liable. Other cases against Merck have also been dismissed for failure on the plaintiff's part to adequately prove their medical condition was actually caused by Vioxx.

In 2006 in Rio Grande City, TX a plaintiff's family sued for wrongful death allegedly due to a Vioxx induced heart attack. The jury awarded $7 million as compensation and $25 million in punitive damages. That same year another Vioxx lawsuit was settled in the plaintiff's favor for $4.5 million compensation and $9 million in punitive damages. The grounds for that Vioxx lawsuit were Merck failed to properly warn the plaintiff of the drug's risks.

By March of 2006 there were over 10,000 cases and 190 class action lawsuits filed. Grounds for the suits involved heart attacks and the inadequacy of the warnings.

It's reported Merck set aside $970 million to pay for its Vioxx-related legal expenses through 2007, and have set aside $4.85 billion for legal claims from US citizens.

If you feel you have been harmed by taking Vioxx, or have lost a loved one because of Vioxx side effects, contact a dangerous drug lawyer who will advise you on how to proceed with a Vioxx lawsuit.




Still have questions about a Vioxx Lawsuit? Click Here.

Custom Search