The Merck painkiller Vioxx and the Pfizer painkillers Bextra and Celebrex have been found to cause heart attack and stroke use in users. Hersh & Hersh has developed an expertise in Vioxx cases, and is currently undertaking Bextra and Celebrex litigation. If you or a loved one has been injured due to taking one of these drugs, please contact us for more information.

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Merck Withdraws Vioxx From Market

On September 30, 2004, Merck & Co., Inc., announced a voluntary withdrawal of Vioxx (refecoxib) from the U.S. and worldwide market due to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke in patients on Vioxx.

Vioxx is one of a class of COX-2 drugs used to treat pain associated with arthritis. Physicians may also prescribe Vioxx to relieve minor pain, headaches and menstrual discomfort. Because Merck advertised directly to consumers, Vioxx quickly became one of the top selling drugs in this country. However, numerous studies have found that taking Vioxx may increase a patient's risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke or blood clot.

In August 2004 an FDA-funded study found that Vioxx increases the risk of heart attack and cardiac death more than Celebrex, another COX-2 drug used to treat the pain of arthritis. The study found that both high and low levels of the medication increased the risk for these cardiovascular events, but patients taking the highest doses increase their risk of heart attack more than three-fold.

If you have experienced serious side effects associated with the Vioxx, please keep in mind that there may be time limits on when you can commence suit.

Bextra and Celebrex Also Associated with Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

Although Vioxx has received much of the publicity concerning the risk of heart attack and stroke, Pfizer's COX-2 inhibitors, Bextra and Celebrex, are also associated with more than double the risk of these complications according to a study presented at the American Heart Association meeting and other recent studies.

Merck recently withdrew Vioxx, but Pfizer refuses to withdraw Bextra or Celebrex from the market. Dr. Garret A. FitzGerald, a cardiologist and pharmacologist at the University of Pennsylvania says that "The magnitude of the signal with Bextra is even higher than what we saw in Vioxx," and "This is a time bomb waiting to go off."

As with all medications, patients should consult a physician prior to changing or stopping any medication. If you believe you or a loved one has suffered an injury from Bextra or Celebrex, you should be aware that there may be time limits on when you can commence a suit.