Legal•Info

Tennessee Vioxx Lawyer

Call (888) 471-5989 to speak with a personal injury attorney.

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.

Clinical trials from 2001 revealed that patients who used Vioxx were twice as likely to suffer from cardiovascular problems like heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots. Maybe their pain was gone, but they were also in danger of potentially fatal effects of the drug. Doctors had no idea and prescribed the drug to more than 80 million people worldwide from 1999 to 2005. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) eventually caught on to the research that some of the medical community had conducted and issued a warning to Vioxx. It is also believed that Merck knew of the fatal side effects and did not alert the FDA or the doctor's prescribing it. In addition, there have been claims that they attempted to downplay the clinical studies in order to keep the drug on the market. The drug was not taken off the shelves until 2005, when Merck voluntarily recalled it. By this time, thousands of people had suffered injuries as a result of their Vioxx regimen.

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 to 40 percent of those actually died. Therefore, approximately 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. Merck banked a whopping 2.4 billion dollars from the revenue of Vioxx alone. 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.

If you had a long-time prescription to 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, they literally hold lives in their hands. The way to keep them accountable for this important responsibility is to take action. A Vioxx attorney/lawyer can help you do this.

There are ongoing investigations into the initial FDA approval of Vioxx in 1999, as well as Merck's reaction to early clinical trials that presented Vioxx as a serious health risk. If you suspect you've been a victim of Vioxx, make sure you help other victims just like you in the fight against Merck: don't just talk to your doctor, talk to a Vioxx attorney/lawyer too. Always know your rights as a consumer so that big business can never swindle you or put your health at risk again.