Vioxx complaints tip of the iceberg, claims legal firm

COMPLAINTS received by the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) about the controversial arthritis drug Vioxx are only the tip of the iceberg, an Irish law firm has maintained.

Raymond Bradley of Malcomson Law says US statistics suggest about 500 people in Ireland are likely to have developed heart, stroke or kidney problems as a result of using the drug.

He is also surprised the IMB received just eight reports of cardiovascular- type reactions to Vioxx, first licensed here in 1999.

Last September, Merck announced a withdrawal of Vioxx after a study linked it to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Carlow and Dublin-based Malcomson Law will represent more than 100 Irish people in a class action against Merck being taken in the US by American law firm Lieff Cabraser.

Malcomson Law also have a number of young people who claim they developed serious health problems as a result of using the drug to treat osteoarthritis.

And in an article in the Irish Medical News, Mr Bradley says many people still take Vioxx.

“Such people were advised to take the anti-inflammatory drug only when they needed to, and still have the drug on their shelves at home,” he says.

Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel supports the return of Vioxx and the continuation of two other Cox-2 painkillers, Celebrex and Bextra.

The panel has urged the FDA to support the return of Vioxx to the market and that Pfizer’s Celebrex and Bextra remain available, despite cardiovascular risks.

The vote indicates the panel found the benefits for some patients outweigh the risks.

The vote could also improve Merck’s position in defending lawsuits alleging it withheld information about the drug’s risks.