Canadian Panel Recommends Return of Vioxx

photo-1A Canadian advisory panel has voted almost unanimously to recommend to the country's drug regulatory agency that Vioxx be allowed back on the market.

The Expert Advisory Panel on the Safety of COX-2 NSAIDs issued the recommendation as part of a report submitted to Health Canada on July 6. The panel voted 12-1 in favor of recommending that Vioxx return to the market following Merck's worldwide withdrawal of the drug on Sept. 30, 2004.

According to the report, the majority panel members believed that while evidence has shown that Vioxx poses an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, it …