Merck's Vioxx pain medication, pulled from the market in September 2004 after it was linked to heart attacks and strokes, may have harmed some users faster than the drugmaker has asserted, according to a company-funded study.
the 23 confirmed heart attacks, strokes, deaths and other complications caused by blood clots in the people studied, 16 occurred in patients taking Vioxx or within two weeks of stopping the drug. Patients were followed for a median of 7.4 months, contradicting Merck's assertion that risk develops only after patients take Vioxx for 18 months.
The study bolsters plaintiff lawyers' arguments that Vioxx threatened consumers' health immediately, said Rick Meadow, a New York-based lawyer who represents former Vioxx users.
``The study confirms that Merck's 18-month theory was just public relations spin,'' Meadow said.
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