Vioxx Warning
The FDA issued a Vioxx warning due to the serious nature of the effects on individuals. A Vioxx label change was issued over a year after the Public Citizen consumer group went before the FDA's Arthritis Drugs Advisory Committee concerned there were not enough Vioxx warnings. The consumer group wanted additional Vioxx warnings because they felt "Merck's promotion of Vioxx crosses legal lines and poses public danger."
The arthritis drug was an immediate success when being approved in May 1999 and critics felt inadequate Vioxx warnings were issued because of the competition between Vioxx and rival drug Celebrex. Aggressive marketing techniques led to the two arthritis companies minimizing the Celebrex and Vioxx warnings, while exaggerating benefits of the drug. Public Citizen consumer group has been actively seeking stronger Vioxx warnings since its introduction to the market and thinks, "Merck's promotion of Vioxx crosses legal lines and poses public danger."
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