Did you know that in the four or five years it was on the market, over 80 million people took Vioxx worldwide? It was the new wonder drug for arthritis, the first of a whole new class of drugs: the COX-2 Inhibitors. They were supposed to be better than other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs because they didn’t inhibit COX-1 receptors, which meant they weren’t supposed to cause ulcers and stomach upset.

Vioxx actually did perform as expected, and really did help relieve the pain and stiffness of arthritis for a lot of people. Unfortunately, however, it also caused heart attacks and strokes in some people. It’s estimated that Vioxx caused somewhere between 88,000 and 139,000 heart attacks in people who took it, and that 30%-40% of those were fatal. Vioxx also seems to have caused heart rhythm problems and, like all other anti-inflammatory medications, kidney problems.

If you took Vioxx, you already know that it was recalled by Merck. What you may not know is the story behind that recall.

First of all, the FDA approved Vioxx after an expedited review; it was such a promising drug that it was rushed through the approval process. Some people have questioned the wisdom of that decision, and believe that if the FDA has taken more time to review the research on Vioxx, it would never have been approved and sold.

However, Vioxx was approved in 1999, and Merck aggressively marketed the new drug to patients and physicians. Because of this aggressive marketing strategy, Vioxx became one of the biggest commercial successes in the pharmaceutical business, netting Merck $2.5 billion in sales.

Meanwhile, Merck continued to do research on Vioxx, hoping it could be prescribed for problems other than arthritis and dysmenorrheal (painful menstruation), which were the indications it was approved for. During one study, VIGOR, researchers noted that people who had heart disease and received Vioxx had more heart attacks than people who did not take Vioxx. In response, Merck added safety labeling to Vioxx, warning that it should be used with caution in people with heart problems.

In 2004, another study, APPROVe, showed that Vioxx increased the risk of heart attack in previously healthy people, too. When that became apparent, Merck voluntarily recalled the drug and has not put it back on the market since.

In December 2005, an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine accused Merck of withholding data from the earlier VIGOR study about heart attacks and strokes. They said Merck knew about the problems with Vioxx and that they manipulated the data to make it appear safer than it was. At about the same time, an FDA researcher named David Graham said that his research showed that Vioxx caused heart problems, and that the FDA suppressed it.

Whether Merck manipulated the data or the FDA suppressed research, the bottom line is that people were harmed by their actions. People took Vioxx, believing it was a safe drug, and some of them had heart attacks, strokes, heart rhythm problems, and kidney problems. Still others lost their lives to the drug.

That’s why talking to a Wyoming Vioxx lawyer might help if taking Vioxx harmed you or someone you know. Vioxx lawyers know what went on and what your rights are, and can help you get compensation if you are entitled to it.