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Louisiana Vioxx Lawyer

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When you hear the word Vioxx, scandals and lawsuits will probably be the first things that come to mind. But for five years, from 1999 to 2005, Vioxx, manufactured by Merck, was an incredibly popular drug that was believed to come to the rescue of those who suffered from arthritis and acute pain. Vioxx, or Rofecoxib, was highly consumer marketed as a miracle drug because it alleviated troubling aches and pains and didn't cause side effects, such as gastrointestinal conditions, like other similar drugs. However, only a few years after Vioxx was introduced, an unsettling discovery was made.
Vioxx has been linked to heart attacks, blood clots and strokes.

Vioxx was created as part of a series of a new generation of arthritis medications that were designed to alleviate arthritis pain. Vioxx was supposed to have many benefits to arthritis sufferers without the negative side effects associated with the older arthritis medicines, such as gastrointestinal problems. Many of the original studies were structured around reducing gastrointestinal problems.

Vioxx belonged to the category of nonsterodial anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) commonly known as COX 2 inhibitors. Other COX 2 inhibitors include ibuprofen,naproxen, Celebrex, and Bextra. Vioxx was prescribed to over ninety-million people in the United States to treat arthritis pain, painful menstrual cramps and acute pain in adults. Eighty-four million people took Vioxx on a daily basis worldwide. Through this widespread use, the sale of Vioxx was earning Merck and Company a reported 2.5 billion dollars yearly. This accounted for 12 percent of Merck's generated revenue.

According to testimony offered before the United States Senate, it is estimated that between 88,000 and 139,000 Americans experienced heart attacks due to Vioxx, and around 30-40 percent of those actually died. Therefore, between 27,000 and 55,000 deaths could have been prevented, if the truth about Vioxx had been reported. 80 countries worldwide prescribed Vioxx on a regular basis. For many years, Merck denied concerns of Vioxx posing great threats to patients' lives, and had they acknowledged the serious concerns, many Vioxx deaths may have been avoided. It seems as if the money flowing into Merck outweighed their morals. However, in 2001 the FDA (the Food and Drug Administration) issued a warning letter to Merck, forcing them to change the packaging on Vioxx to clearly state the risk of heart problems. Unfortunately, this was years after the drug had already been on the market, and thousands had already suffered from heart attacks.

If you had a long-time prescription for Vioxx and experienced unanticipated side effects of the drug, you should make an appointment with your physician immediately. Merck is liable for injuries caused by its product, and many former patients and their families have filed lawsuits to fight for compensation.

Product liability law is what keeps manufacturers in check, preventing them from creating defective products or advertising products deceptively. In the case of Vioxx, the drug was not accompanied by warnings about its dangerous health risks. A Vioxx attorney/lawyer is an expert on product liability, Vioxx in particular, and can thus navigate the confusing legal world surrounding it. Thousands have already sued the pharmaceutical giant and many of them have won financial compensation for their Vioxx-related health problems.

If you've endured unnecessary harm as a result of your prescription to Vioxx, then you need a Vioxx attorney/lawyer to help you get the justice you deserve. Pharmaceutical companies are powerful, but that power comes with responsibility. The way to keep them accountable when they have flouted this responsibility is to take action. A Vioxx attorney/lawyer can help you do this.