Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion General Science Discussion Forum Up to 139,000 Americans, seriously affected by Drug

Three months ago, the painkiller Vioxx? was pulled from the World Wide Market.

On Sept 30, 2004 -- Merck & Co announced that it was pulling its popular arthritis and pain drug Vioxx (rofecoxib) from the worldwide market after a clinical trial showed that the drug carried an increased risk for heart attacks and strokes
The increased cardiovascular risk was discovered during a trial to evaluate the effect of Vioxx in preventing recurrence of colorectal polyps. After 18 months of treatment, the patients taking Vioxx were found to be at greater risk for heart attack and stroke compared with those taking a placebo. All trials were stopped.

Vioxx is a COX-2 selective nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID). Other COX-2 selective NSAIDs on the market at this time are Celebrex (celecoxib) and Bextra (valdecoxib). Vioxx is also related to the nonselective NSAIDs, such as Ibuprofen and Naproxen.

***A the time of the above announcement Merck's shares went down as a result. But little else.***

But now 3 months later Dr David Graham an American FDA employee, has vowed to publish research that suggests that up to 139,000 Americans alone have died, or been seriously injured as a result of taking the drug.

In an interview with the UK's Financial Times today (Jan3 '05. displayed as front page news) Dr Graham said he was determined to go ahead with publication of his updated analysis, even though he had been threatened with dismissal by the FDA if he wrote or published his updated paper.
He reminded the FT that he published a prelim: paper back in August '04 when he stated that 28,000 Americans, had died or suffered debilitating heart attacks as a result of taking Vioxx since it was first approved in 1999.
It was this first paper that forced Merck & Co and regulators to call into doubt the safety of all of the cox-2 inhibitor class of drugs that Vioxx belongs.
In view ofhis threatened dismissal and malignment Dr Graham stated that his paper is liable to be published in the British Medical Journal "The Lancet".
He also reminded listeners that he originally provided the estimates that 89,000-139,000 Americans had been seriously affected by the drug to a Congressional hearing last month.

***I can only admire this scientist, who has put his job and future on the line, endeveouring to publish certain facts, as he researched them. In order to bring supressed facts out to the general public. I wish we had more like him.***

MORE ON VIOXX by THE GLOBE and MAIL (Canada)
This mornings edition (25th Jan 05)


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/s...ienceandHealth/

The only viable solution to prolonging the politically vital bad joke that is Social Security is to kill off old people - preferably in the nicest possible way (apparent natural causes). What is your problem?

Iraqui and Bullwinkle

France saved $360 million a year in retirement and medical payments by killing off 30,000 pensioners in last year's heat wave. Run the numbers yourself.

You will not be seeing less of this, you will be seeing more.

Uncle Al is, unfortunately, right. In Australia we have very comprehensive free health care. In time this will become unsustainable. Who knows when? With the stream of new drugs and treatments coming on-line it could be a couple of years away.

Love the Iraqui and Bullwinkle page.

KM

In the US the system is perfectly sustainable. The only thing required is to find a solution to taxpayers voting to unburden themselves of the responsibility of paying taxes. Our generation is a bunch of spoiled brats never educated by our parents on the grim realities of life because of their experiences with WWI, the depression,and WWII. So they raised a generation that thinks highway systems have always been here. Airports have always been here. And that efficient government is better than inefficient government.

Well it is getting more efficient and our civil rights are disappearing right along with it.

So in-spite of may or may not be the actual cause of the problems you are seeing in Oz. The reality here is that Social Security is just fine except for some greedy politicos wanting to let Wall Street brokers have access to our money and greedy insurance companies forcing up the cost of medicine.

Pretty much why my retirement plans don't include the US and why I am learning Chinese. ;-)

"Civil Rights" do not and should not include the govenment providing your retirement package or health care. You should plan for life and take responsibility for things.

I would gladly opt out of SSI if I could. Give me the 100k plus that I have put into the system and I can manage it much more effectively.