Two new studies have confirmed that Vioxx increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, with one study finding that Vioxx also carries kidney risks.
The first study was conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School to determine kidney and heart risks associated with Vioxx and other COX-2 inhibitors. Reseachers examined the data of more than 116,000 patients who participated in relevant clinical trials.
Compared with a placebo, Vioxx nearly tripled the risk of heart disturbances, or arrhythmias, and also elevated the risk of kidney problems.
Researchers at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia, conducted the second study to compare the cardiovascular risks associated with COX-2 inhibitors, including Vioxx, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen.
The findings revealed that Vioxx more than doubled the risk of a cardiac event such as heart attack and stroke when administered in doses greater than 25mg per day. The risk of such events at lower doses of Vioxx was 33 percent.
According to the study, the risks associated with using Vioxx were apparent within one month of treatment. In both studies, the increased risks were associated with Vioxx alone.
The studies are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Vioxx is currently the target of more than 11,000 product liability lawsuits, only a handful of which have gone to trial.
