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VIOXX® About VIOXX® - Overview VIOXX® (generically known as rofecoxib) was first approved for use in the United States on May 21, 1999. At that time, the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") approved VIOXX® for the treatment of osteoarthritis, menstrual pain and for the management of acute pain. The FDA later approved VIOXX® as a treatment for the inflammation and pain associated with adult and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, as well as for migraine headaches. VIOXX® is one of a number of medications that are nonsteriodal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These NSAIDs are used to inhibit inflammation (anti-inflammatory), reduce pain (analgesic) and reduce fever (anti-pyretic). VIOXX® is in a subclass of NSAIDs that is known as selective "Cox-2 Inhibitors." This name describes how VIOXX® and other drugs in the class work on the body's pain management systems. VIOXX® (and its main competitor Celebrex®) are believed to inhibit the body's production of Cyclooxygenase-2 ("COX-2"), a chemical in the body that promotes the production of another chemical - prostacyclin - thought to reduce inflammation and pain. Simply stated, the COX-2 inhibitors are believed to reduce pain and inflammation by promoting the body's production of prostacyclin. Since its approval in 1999, VIOXX® had steadily grown in popularity to the point where approximately 20 million people were using the drug worldwide at the time of its recall. This translated into sales of approximately $2.5 billion in 2003 for Merck, the New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company that manufactured Vioxx. Many attribute this meteoric growth in VIOXX® sales to a slick and multi-level marketing campaign undertaken by Merck that simultaneously targeted physicians and consumers. According to Merck, 105 million prescriptions for VIOXX® were written while VIOXX® was on the market (between May 1999 and August 2004) and 20 million Americans had taken VIOXX® during that period. If you or a loved one has suffered a heart attack, heart arrhythmia, stroke or sudden cardiac death while taking Vioxx® and have questions about your legal rights, fill out our free case evaluation form. Choose the state where you live to locate a Vioxx lawyer near you. |
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