Cardiac event risk in Vioxx user starts soon after use begins

Christen Wiese

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A study done by Dr. David Kerr of Britain's University of Oxford discovered that the increased risk of an adverse cardiac event happened sooner than originally thought for Vioxx users.

The original conclusion from a past study conveyed that Vioxx posed a significant cardiovascular threat after 18 months of use. However, the new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in July 2007 suggests that the increased cardiovascular risks can start during or within fourteen days after the treatment period.

Merck, the maker of Vioxx, voluntarily removed Vioxx from the market in September 2004 after the previous study showed the doubled risk of a cardiovascular event after eighteen months. Merck has responded to this latest study by saying that the findings are inconclusive and not reliable based on the fact that the study was terminated early because the drug was removed from the market.

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