Healthy Skepticism Library item: 15362

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Vioxx danger claim
Herald Sun 2009 Mar 31
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25266185-2862,00.html

Full text:

THOUSANDS of Australians taking a popular painkilling drug were at increased risk of heart attack and potential death because the manufacturer misled the public, a Melbourne court heard yesterday.

David Loker, an Australian employee of pharmaceutical giant Merck Sharp and Dohme, allegedly told his company the defence of anti-arthritis drug Vioxx was “a bit too much to swallow” after his parents, both of whom took the drug, later died from heart attacks, the Federal Court was told.

Victorian Graeme Peterson, 50, also took the drug and suffered a “massive heart attack” on December 8, 2003, almost a year before Vioxx was taken off the market by Merck.

Mr Peterson’s lawsuit against Merck leads potentially hundreds of others in a class action being brought by Slater and Gordon.

Julian Burnside QC, for Mr Peterson, accused Merck of ignoring clinical tests.