Why rofecoxib is banned

According to their website, Tremeau has only two drugs under development, both for an orphan indication -- rofecoxib and etoricoxib. If the names of these drugs sound familiar, they should. Both drugs are selective COX-2 inhibitors. They are in exactly the same drug class as celecoxib Celebrex. These drugs have been prescribed for the relief of arthritic pain for 20 years.

Before , rofecoxib was one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the US and marketed under the trade name of Vioxx.

Vioxx was withdrawn when it was found to increase the risk of serious cardiovascular events. Etoricoxib is currently marketed by Merck in over 80 countries worldwide under the trade name of Arcoxia. In , the FDA declined to approve it for use in the U. Scientists already know that the drug, which blocks the cyclooxygenase-2 COX-2 enzyme, acts within hours to ease pain and inflammation. So to some, it is no surprise that it could also start working immediately in the arteries to trigger cardiovascular problems, perhaps by promoting the formation of artery-clogging blood clots, although the exact mechanism is not known.

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Merck announced a voluntary worldwide withdrawal of Vioxx rofecoxib. Vioxx is a prescription medicine used to relieve signs and symptoms of arthritis, acute pain in adults, and painful menstrual cycles. No, Merck made this decision independent of input from FDA. The Agency has not had an opportunity to review the data from the study that was stopped in the depth that Merck has, but agrees with the company that there appear to be significant safety concerns for patients, particularly those taking the drug chronically.

FDA plans to work closely with Merck to coordinate the withdrawal of this product from the US market. FDA issued a public health advisory concerning the use of Vioxx. The risk that an individual patient will suffer a heart attack or stroke related to Vioxx is very small.

We encourage people taking Vioxx to contact their physician to discuss discontinuing use of Vioxx and alternative treatments.

Any decision about which drug product to take to treat your symptoms should be made in consultation with your physician based on an assessment of your specific treatment needs. What are the likely long-term health effects, if any, of taking this product? The new study shows that Vioxx may cause an increased risk in cardiovascular events such as heart attack and strokes during chronic use.