Vioxx Recall: The Fallout Still Being Felt

The fallout from the Vioxx recall is still being felt. The recall has impacted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Merck, and arthritis patients and doctors.

• The FDA is issuing twice the number of public advisories about drug risks as it did a year ago, adding five times as many black box warnings to drug labels, and taking nearly twice as long to approve new drugs. Read more from the New York Times about the FDA actions.
• The first Vioxx lawsuit is underway, and though not over yet, observers say Merck is taking a beating. Read details from the New York Times about the Vioxx trial.
• The withdrawal of Vioxx from the market has left many who were taking it and similar drugs in its class wondering how to relieve their arthritis pain. Read Are Strong Narcotics Good For Modest Arthritis Pain?, from ABCNEWS.com.

More Related Resources:

• 09/30/2004: Vioxx Recalled Worldwide
• 08/19/2005: Jury Finds Merck Liable in First Vioxx lawsuit
• 11/03/2005: Jury Finds Merck Not Liable in Second Vioxx Case
• 12/09/2005: Merck Withheld Pertinent Information About Vioxx