On September 30, 2004, Merck announced a worldwide withdrawal of its anti-inflammatory drug, Vioxx, following information that people taking Vioxx are twice as likely to have heart attacks and strokes than people who take other inflammatory drugs, such as Naproxen.

Vioxx is one of a class of anti-inflammatory drugs strenuously marketed as being more effective, with fewer side effects than other, older drugs, including such over-the-counter medications as ibuprofen.

Vioxx and other drugs in the class have not proven to be the breakthrough cure-all for pain as they were advertised. In fact many physicians prefer ibuprofen for pain relief to Vioxx and Celebrex combined, and for patients, the cost of the over-the-counter medication is 10 to 15 times less than that of the prescription drugs.

Merck & Co., the maker of Vioxx launched the drug in the U.S. in 1999, and has had nearly $2.5 billion in sales of the drug in 2003.

via [southfloridavioxxattorney]