Lump

from CNN
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- The arthritis drug Vioxx, used by millions of people around the world, is being pulled off the market after a study confirmed long-standing concerns that it raises the risk of heart attack and stroke, the manufacturer, Merck & Co., said today.

"Patients who are currently taking Vioxx should contact their health care providers to discuss discontinuing use of Vioxx and possible alternative treatments," Merck said.

The company said it was withdrawing the drug following a review of data from a three-year colon cancer trial.

"In this study, there was an increased relative risk for confirmed cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, beginning after 18 months of treatment in the patients taking Vioxx compared to those taking placebo," Merck said in a press release.

Worldwide sales of Vioxx totaled $2.55 billion last year. Since the introduction of the drug in 1999, 91 million Vioxx prescriptions have been written in the United States alone. The drug is sold in some countries under the name Ceoxx.

Merck shares plunged 15 percent in pre-market trading after the announcement. Shares of Pfizer Inc., which sells two rival arthritis drugs, rose 5 percent.

"It's a major blow for Merck," said Sena Lund, an analyst at Cathay Financial. "It was one of their five key drivers for future growth."

Vioxx sales have been flat in recent years amid safety concerns. Clinical trial data have shown the drug increased the incidence of blood clots tied to strokes and heart attacks.

A recent study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggested patients taking Vioxx faced a 50 percent greater risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac death than those taking Pfizer's Celebrex arthritis treatment.

Sales of the Pfizer arthritis drugs Celebrex and Bextra have steadily grown as doctors have turned to those drugs, which have not been linked to heart attack and stroke.

The colon cancer trial was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the standard 25-milligram Vioxx dose in preventing recurrence of colon polyps. Such polyps sometimes become cancerous.

Vioxx was used in the colon cancer trial because some researchers theorize that inflammation, present in arthritis, may be linked to colon cancer.

Merck said the heart attacks and strokes were not spotted during the first 18 months of the trial but became apparent later.

"Given the availability of alternative therapies, and the questions raised by the data, we concluded that a voluntary withdrawal (of Vioxx) is the responsible course to take," Merck Chief Executive Officer Raymond Gilmartin said.

Vioxx and the two Pfizer drugs are designed to block inflammation and pain as effectively as standard nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen, while causing far fewer ulcers and gastrointestinal problems than the older treatments.

The newer medicines block a protein called Cox-2 that has been linked to inflammation.

Merck said it would continue to market Arcoxia, its newer Cox-2 treatment that is sold in 47 countries. Approval of Arcoxia in the United States has been delayed by concerns among U.S. regulators about whether it poses the same risk of heart attack and stroke as Vioxx.

Heckman

Why am I not surprised? A pharmaceutical drug with high risk factors....eh, go figure!

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Heckman

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SuperSport

Obviously , this is yet another crap drug. I dated a girl several years ago that used Vioxx for a short while for an arthritic hip from a car crash. After she started using it she noticed she was shedding a lot more of her hair than usual when she was in the shower. She had a beautiful mane of hair, so it was a big concern of course.

So she asked the doc about it and he said that was one of the side effects.....she got off that stuff pronto.

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Future

My doctor wouldnt give me 200 mg od deca a MONTH but would give me cort or put me on VIOXX. Would an idiot! AND NOW I AM TOTALLY CONVINCED! When I heard this story this morning I just wasnt surprised. Steroids are evil but there is just no way that the pharms could put out something poor. Bastards. When the Merck rep was asked how they would deal with patients health issues from their findings he totally dodged the question.

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ChuckaZulu

I've been on Vioxx for the last 2-3 years. I have "Arthro Chondral Mylagia" (Arthritis) in both Knee's. I've always taken the High Dose 25mg tab and it did help. I was also diagnosed with Hypertension last year. I don't know if there is a connection, but WTF. I stopped taking the Vioxx and the HCTZ for my BP yesterday. I'll check my Vital Signs Monday at work.

SuperSport

Chuck....if you think of it from time to time keep us posted on what you are doing for BP control. I believe you are in the med field in some capacity......keep us posted as to what you are doing and what seems to help.

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Admin@ http://www.proactivehealthnet.com

" We know that to err is human, but the HIV/AIDS hypothesis is one hell of a mistake"
Dr. Kary Mullis, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry for inventing the Polymerase Chain Reaction


"The fact is that you can not start off with bad science and end up with good medicine"

ChuckaZulu

My baseline B/P while on the Vioxx was 160/90

Since adding the HCTZ (Hydrochlorothiazide)it's been 130/80

I'm going to stay off both for at least 7 day's, take Vitals, and start back with the HCTZ if needed for my B/P.

Hopefully my Knee's won't start screaming without the Vioxx.

There's always Deca...

I'm a Fire Fighter/Paramedic

Lump

I can't say any of this surprises me either... when you're dealing with a prostaglandin inhibitor, like Vioxx, you're going to affect other prostaglandin mediated systems... it's a shame that drug companies won't really test their products before putting them on the market and damaging patients...

My husband took it for several months.... incidentally, at the end of the time period, they detected a heart murmur they'd never noticed before.

ChuckaZulu,
I haven't researched your BP med yet, but as I'm sure you probably already know.. the best BP drugs are diuretics.. they've been on the market for a really long time and overall seem to make the biggest dent in the BP. It's something to consider.

There are natural diuretics that can be taken... you most likely want to consult a physician/naturopath or some other qualified professional to recommend what type of dosage you want to use. There are many on the market that are asparagus extracts that may be of help to you.

take care!

ChuckaZulu

My BP yesterday was 130/76 without Med's.