Vioxx, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), was manufactured by Merck & Co. and approved by the FDA in 1999 to treat arthritis, acute pain in adults and menstrual pain. According to published reports, Vioxx may have led to thousands of heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrests before it was recalled from the market on September 30, 2004.
Merck pulled Vioxx from the market after an internal study showed that patients taking the drug were more likely to suffer a cardiac event than those taking a placebo.
Vioxx is one of three Cox-2 inhibitors, a class of pain medications. The other Cox-2 inhibitors include Celebrex, which also has been reportedly linked to heart attacks and strokes, and Bextra, which was voluntarily removed from the market due to its increased risk of causing cardiovascular problems.
Thousands of claims have been filed nationwide involving those who suffered cardiac events or stroke after using Vioxx. On November 9, 2007, after more than five years of litigation, Merck announced that it has agreed to pay the largest pharmaceutical settlement in history — $4.85 billion — to resolve Vioxx-related claims. A Vioxx settlement program has been established to compensate thousands of qualified claimants who suffered sudden cardiac death, heart attack or ischemic stroke as a result of using Vioxx. The settlement funds will be allocated among claimants based on an individual evaluation of each case.
Metzger Wickersham has helped a number of clients through the process of successfully resolving their Vioxx claims. Contact an experienced attorney with our firm. Remember, your initial consultation is free, and you don't pay us unless you win.
