How common is pharmaceutical / prescription negligence?
What is Vioxx? Vioxx is a popular anti-inflammatory medication introduced to the U.S. market in 1999, and used to be prescribed to ease the pain, swelling and other symptoms of osteoarthritis. Before drugmaker Merck & Co. withdrew it from the worldwide market September 30, 2004, it was most commonly given to patients with Osteoarthritis. Vioxx belongs to a class of medications known as cyclooxygenase-2, or COX-2, inhibitors. Sales topped $2.55 billion in 2003. Why did Merck take Vioxx off the market? Merck pulled its best-selling arthritis drug off the market based on data indicating the drug increases the risk of heart attack and stroke among users. Merck announced the immediate, voluntary worldwide withdrawal after a three-year colon cancer clinical trial with 2,600 patients revealed that 18 months after patients started taking Vioxx, test results showed an increased risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications. 84 million people have used Vioxx since 1999. How can an
