Merck’s Vioxx defence unsettled by new study

A new study from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, has revealed that Vioxx users are at highest risk of heart attacks and strokes within the first two weeks of taking the medication.

Merck withdrew Vioxx on the claim that heart attacks and strokes were more likely after 18 months of continuous use of the drug, but the new research contradicts this – it says a quarter of patients who suffered a heart attack using Vioxx did so within two weeks of the start of their prescription.

Professor Linda Levesque, who led the study, said: “This demonstrates that cardiovascular risks from taking Vioxx may occur much earlier than previously believed.”

She added: “Our previous study on COX-2 inhibitors, which included Vioxx and Celebrex, evaluated whether there was an increased risk of heart attack while taking these medications – the answer was yes for Vioxx.”

Merck, which is currently defending at least 10,000 Vioxx lawsuits, said last week it would appeal a $32 million (18 million pounds) compensation order to the family of a Vioxx user from a Texas court. Merck said it had not seen the Canadian report and added that its own clinical trials were more scientific in approach than the study.

Up to 500,000 patients in the UK have used Vioxx and last August the BBC said thousands may seek action against Merck. Last year the FDA stated that 20 million people worldwide have taken Vioxx and added that it could have caused 27,785 deaths from heart attacks and strokes.

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