Swiss Researchers Say Vioxx Problems Evident in 2000

LONDON-Merck is disputing a report by Swiss Researchers that studies of Merck's Vioxx painkiller showed a significant increased risk of heart attack four years before the drug was recalled.

The study was published in the Nov. 5 issue of The Lancet. Peter Juni, M.D., and colleagues from the University of Berne say they re-analyzed 18 clinical trials comparing Vioxx (rofecoxib) with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or placebo.

'Our cumulative meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials indicates that an increased risk of myocardial infarction was evident from 2000 onwards. At the end of 2000, the effect was both substantial and unlikely …