NFT: Vioxx may have killed thousands.

C-Mac · 01-25-2005, 01:08 PM

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...455947,00.html

Vioxx may have killed thousands of UK patients, study warns
By Times Online and PA News

An arthritis drug withdrawn on safety grounds last year probably killed tens of thousands of patients in Britain and America, a study suggested today.
Researchers said the drug Vioxx may have caused between 88,000 and 140,000 serious heart problems in the United States alone since its introduction in 1999.
As 44 per cent of American patients with heart disease go on to die of the condition, many of the Vioxx patients were likely to have had their deaths hastened by the drug, it was claimed.
Vioxx, which has the scientific name rofecoxib, was also prescribed to 400,000 patients in the UK. It was taken off the market at the end of September after a three year trial linked it to an increased risk of heart disease events.
The study published on-line today by the Lancet medical journal analysed data from 1.4 million Californians who had used various kinds of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Among them were 27,000 patients who had been taking Vioxx, which belongs to a family of drugs known as Cox-2 inhibitors.
A total of 40,000 were given another Cox-2 inhibitor, Celebrex, while others were taking ibuprofen or naproxen.
The investigators, led by David Graham from the US Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Drug Safety, found that 8,143 had suffered from serious heart disease between 1999 and last September. Of these, 1,508 died suddenly from a heart problem.
People given Vioxx had 34 per cent higher chance of heart disease when compared with patients taking one of the other drugs.
Heart disease was 1.6 times more likely among those taking standard-dose Vioxx compared with those prescribed Celebrex. For patients on high doses, the risk was 3.6 times greater.
The study also found that people taking naproxen had a 14 per cent increased risk of heart disease than those on other painkillers. This was a surprise, since previous studies have suggested that naproxen protects against heart disease.
Dr Graham said: "An estimated 88,000-140 000 excess cases of serious coronary heart disease probably occurred in the USA over the market life of rofecoxib.
The US national estimate of the case-fatality rate (fatal heart attack plus sudden cardiac death) was 44 per cent, which suggests that many of the excess cases attributable to rofecoxib use were fatal.
"In the future, when trials show that a new treatment confers a greater risk of a serious adverse effect than a standard treatment, we must be much more careful about allowing its unrestrained use."

**alpha_omega** · 01-25-2005, 02:21 PM

Maybe so, but that stuff was the BOMB after a root canal or similar dental procedure.

01-25-2005, 01:08 PM
C-Mac Lurker Extraordinaire Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Wally World Casino cash: $2333699	NFT: Vioxx may have killed thousands. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...455947,00.html Vioxx may have killed thousands of UK patients, study warns By Times Online and PA News An arthritis drug withdrawn on safety grounds last year probably killed tens of thousands of patients in Britain and America, a study suggested today. Researchers said the drug Vioxx may have caused between 88,000 and 140,000 serious heart problems in the United States alone since its introduction in 1999. As 44 per cent of American patients with heart disease go on to die of the condition, many of the Vioxx patients were likely to have had their deaths hastened by the drug, it was claimed. Vioxx, which has the scientific name rofecoxib, was also prescribed to 400,000 patients in the UK. It was taken off the market at the end of September after a three year trial linked it to an increased risk of heart disease events. The study published on-line today by the Lancet medical journal analysed data from 1.4 million Californians who had used various kinds of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Among them were 27,000 patients who had been taking Vioxx, which belongs to a family of drugs known as Cox-2 inhibitors. A total of 40,000 were given another Cox-2 inhibitor, Celebrex, while others were taking ibuprofen or naproxen. The investigators, led by David Graham from the US Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Drug Safety, found that 8,143 had suffered from serious heart disease between 1999 and last September. Of these, 1,508 died suddenly from a heart problem. People given Vioxx had 34 per cent higher chance of heart disease when compared with patients taking one of the other drugs. Heart disease was 1.6 times more likely among those taking standard-dose Vioxx compared with those prescribed Celebrex. For patients on high doses, the risk was 3.6 times greater. The study also found that people taking naproxen had a 14 per cent increased risk of heart disease than those on other painkillers. This was a surprise, since previous studies have suggested that naproxen protects against heart disease. Dr Graham said: "An estimated 88,000-140 000 excess cases of serious coronary heart disease probably occurred in the USA over the market life of rofecoxib. The US national estimate of the case-fatality rate (fatal heart attack plus sudden cardiac death) was 44 per cent, which suggests that many of the excess cases attributable to rofecoxib use were fatal. "In the future, when trials show that a new treatment confers a greater risk of a serious adverse effect than a standard treatment, we must be much more careful about allowing its unrestrained use."
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01-25-2005, 02:21 PM	#2
alpha_omega Supporter Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Liberty Casino cash: $1631251	Maybe so, but that stuff was the BOMB after a root canal or similar dental procedure.
Posts: 16,737