The New England Journal Of Medicine On Vioxx

Vioxx Press Release, Dec 09, 2005

Date: Dec 9, 2005
According to "The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) just came out with a release saying that Merck deleted data about three heart attacks among patients on Vioxx before sending in a key paper to the NEJM."  

Withdrawal Of Vioxx Sept. 30, 2004 – Merck &. Co., Inc. today announced a voluntary worldwide withdrawal of VIOXX® (rofecoxib), its arthritis and acute pain medication. The company’s decision, which is effective immediately, is based on new, three-year data from a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, the APPROVeAdenomatous Polyp Prevention on VIOXX trial.

The trial, which is being stopped, was designed to evaluate the efficacy of VIOXX 25 mg in preventing recurrence of colorectal polyps in patients with a history of colorectal adenomas. In this study, there was an increased relative risk for confirmed cardiovascular events.