|
|
On
September 30, 2004, the international prescription
drug company Merck announced the worldwide withdrawal
of the arthritis medication Rofecoxib, sold
in most countries under the brand name Vioxx,
because a study showed an increased risk of
heart attack and stroke. Patients who have suffered
injuries due to Vioxx have filed litigation
against Merck for failing to recall the drug
when it first learned of Vioxx's dangerous side
effects.
To contact in confidence an experienced personal
injury attorney at Lieff Cabraser working on
the Vioxx lawsuit, click
here. |
|
|
|
| |
|
FDA
Public Health Advisory: Safety of Vioxx
|
| |
|
September 30, 2004 -- Merck & Co., Inc. today announced
a voluntary withdrawal of Vioxx from the U.S. market due
to safety concerns. Vioxx is a prescription COX-2 selective,
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that was
approved by FDA in May 1999 for the relief of the signs
and symptoms of osteoarthritis, for the management of
acute pain in adults, and for the treatment of menstrual
symptoms. It is also approved for the relief of the signs
and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in adults and children. |
| The
Agency was informed by Merck & Co., Inc. on September
27, 2004, that the Data Safety Monitoring Board for an
ongoing long-term study of Vioxx (APPROVe) had recommended
that the study be stopped early for safety reasons. The
study was being conducted in patients at risk for developing
recurrent colon polyps. The study showed an increased
risk of cardiovascular events (including heart attack
and stroke) in patients on Vioxx compared to placebo,
particularly those who had been taking the drug for longer
than 18 months. Based on this new safety information,
Merck and FDA officials met the next day, September 28,
2004, and during that meeting FDA was informed that Merck
was voluntarily withdrawing Vioxx from the market place. |
| The
risk that an individual patient taking Vioxx will suffer
a heart attack or stroke related to the drug is very small.
Patients who are currently taking Vioxx should contact
their physician for guidance regarding discontinuation
and alternative therapies. |
| The
FDA is working closely with Merck to coordinate the withdrawal
of this product from the U.S. market place. Healthcare
professionals are advised to contact Merck at
or at www.merck.com
or at the FDA’s Drug Information Office at
or or go to Vioxx Information on FDA’s
website at: www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/vioxx/default.gov
for questions about this product. |
| |
| Contact
Lieff Cabraser |
| If
you or a family member have suffered a serious injury
or a loved one died after being prescribed Vioxx, you
may be eligible to file a claim against Merck. |
| Please
click
here to contact an attorney at Lieff Cabraser to discuss
your legal rights at no cost or obligation. We
will handle all inquiries with the strictest confidentiality
and sensitivity. |
| We
also welcome inquiries from counsel considering referring
a case. Lieff Cabraser has strong relations with the plaintiffs’
bar across the United States. |
| Lieff
Cabraser: Experienced Product Liability Injury Lawyers |
| Founded
in 1972, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP is
a nearly sixty attorney law firm with offices in San Francisco,
New York, Washington, D.C., Beverly Hills, and Nashville.
In 2003 and 2004, the National Law Journal recognized
Lieff Cabraser as one of the top 20 plaintiffs’ law
firms in America. |
| For
our personal injury cases, we bring a team of experienced
lawyers. Each client is assigned a partner and an associate.
In addition, we have on staff multiple nurses, legal assistants,
scientific analysts and case clerks to assist the attorneys. |
| We
have represented thousands of patients who ingested prescription
drugs with dangerous undisclosed side effects, and patients
who received defective medical devices in personal injury
lawsuits across America, including residents of Alaska,
Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut,
Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana,
Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland,
Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina,
North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia,
Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming. |
| We
look forward to communicating with you and answering any
questions you may have. To learn more about the competitive
advantages our firm offers clients in personal injury
and products liability cases, click
here. |
| Notice
on Practice and Statute of Limitations |
| Lieff
Cabraser attorneys provide legal advice and practice law
for clients in federal district courts throughout the
United States and in state courts where we are licensed
to practice. In states in which our lawyers are not licensed
to practice, we have affiliations with local attorneys
who serve as co-counsel with our firm. Please read our
Disclaimer. |
| Persons
seeking to preserve any potential legal claims for allegedly
dangerous and/or defective products should contact an
attorney promptly because all states have mandatory time
periods (called "statutes of limitation") within
which lawsuits must be filed. Otherwise, a person's claims
may be forever barred. In some states, the statute of
limitations period for filing personal injury claims is
only one year from the date of injury. |
|
|
|
|
|
Lieff
Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Trademark
Notice |
| "Vioxx"
is a registered trademark of Merck. Lieff Cabraser Heimann
& Bernstein, LLP is in no way affiliated with Merck,
and the Vioxx trademark is used solely for informational
purposes. |
|
|
|
Copyright
© 2004-2005 Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein,
LLP
|
| |
|
|
"Banned
Report on Vioxx Published" Los Angeles
Times, Jan. 25, 2005
A report on Vioxx risks previously blocked by
the FDA was published online Monday after the
agency withdrew its opposition. The study found
that as many as 140,000 cases of heart disease
in the United States and as many as 56,000 deaths
were caused by the painkiller Vioxx during the
five years that it was on the market.
To read more press articles on the Vioxx recall
and Vioxx class action lawsuit, click
here. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Lieff
Cabraser has participated in twenty-three $100
million-plus settlements and verdicts. To read
a summary, click here. |
|
|
|
|
|
Click here to read
recent press articles on the Vioxx recall and
Vioxx lawsuits. |
|
|
|
|
|
Read about key events in the Vioxx recall and
Vioxx lawsuit by clicking
here. |
|
|
|
|