Re: FDA: 139,000 people had heart attacks that may be linked to Vioxx

From: Sharon Hope (shope_at_anet.net)
Date: 01/05/05 

Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2005 03:02:21 GMT

Thing is, until now they were denied the information needed to make a true
risk assessment. At least now they know the tradeoffs.

Pfizer will continue to sell their version, just as they do their statin, so
arthritis suffers can choose to risk heart attack if they determine that
risk is an acceptable tradeoff for pain relief.

But they will be dealing with real information for the first time.

"Don Kirkman" <donkirk@covad.net> wrote in message
news:j5olt0t88qho57jfjii207fq4rjnps3qro@4ax.com...
> It seems to me I heard somewhere that Sharon Hope wrote in article
> <WpnCd.275148$5K2.269215@attbi_s03>:
>
>>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,143170,00.html
>
>> Scientist: Vioxx Harmed 139,000
>> Monday, January 03, 2005
>
>>AP
>
>>WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration has given a whistle-blower
>>scientist permission to publish data indicating that as many as 139,000
>>people had heart attacks that may be linked to Vioxx, the scientist's
>>lawyer
>>said Monday.
>>Dr. David Graham, who works in the FDA's office of drug safety, has said
>>he
>>was not allowed to publish his data questioning the safety of Vioxx, a
>>pain
>>medication principally used to treat osteroarthritis. Additionally, an FDA
>>official sent e-mail messages to the medical journal Lancet trying to
>>persuade the journal not to publish the data.
>
>>Citing its own safety concerns, manufacturer Merck voluntarily pulled
>>Vioxx
>>from the market in late September.
>
>><snip>
>
>>- more at the link -
>
>>Note that, just like Bayer did with Baycol, Merck VOLUNTARILY pulled the
>>drug from the market. Pfizer had rhabdomyolysis deaths from Lipitor, but
>>chose not to voluntarily pull the drug. Pfizer had problems with suicides
>>with another of their drugs, but chose not to voluntarily pull that drug,
>>either.
>
> Note too, though, that many rheumatologists and arthritis patients feel
> betrayed by the sudden pulling of Vioxx off the market, since they had
> been seeing good results from the drug and were willing to accept the
> level of risk shown in the studies. Now they do not have that option.
> --
> Don
> "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed
> us with senses, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their
> use. --Galileo Galilei

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