Vioxx Recalled

On September 30 th, 2004, Merck & Co., Inc. announced a voluntary withdrawal of Vioxx�. New data revealed in a three-year clinical study showed there was an increased risk for cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, stroke and blood clots in patients taking Vioxx. Apparently Vioxx doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients who took the drug daily for more than 18 months. More than 20 million people have taken Vioxx since it was introduced in 1999.

"We are taking this action because we believe it best serves the interests of patients," said Merck chairman, president and chief executive officer Raymond Gilmartin. "Although we believe it would have been possible to continue to market Vioxx with labeling that would incorporate these new data, given the availability of alternative therapies, and the questions raised by the data, we concluded that a voluntary withdrawal is the responsible course to take."

Vioxx generated $2.5 billion worldwide in sales a year, about 11 percent of the company's total revenue.

Vioxx Lawsuits

Several lawsuits have already been filed against Merck. Merck expects about 16,000 people to file legitimate Vioxx lawsuits against the company. Even before Merck's Vioxx withdrawal announcement, several hundred suits had been filed against the company by Vioxx users who experienced heart attack and stroke while taking Vioxx.

Although lawyers don't expect it to be as wide-spread a case as fen-phen, the individual damages collected by successful Vioxx plaintiffs will likely to be larger than fen-phen, as the injuries and deaths caused by Vioxx are much more severe than the damages from fen-phen. The first Vioxx cases are expected to go to trial late this year or early 2005.

Register Your Vioxx Case

If you or a loved one has experienced heart attack, stroke or sudden death while taking Vioxx, please register your complaint with a [VIOXX LAWYER]. Your case will be evaluated for free.

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