Vioxx’s Heart Risks Were Unique, Studies Suggest

Article in today’s New York Times — Vioxx’s Heart Risks Were Unique, Studies Suggest, by Alex Berenson:

    Vioxx, which is no longer on the market, may have posed unique heart risks that
    similar painkilling drugs, including Celebrex, do not share, according to two papers
    published Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

    In one paper, three researchers at Harvard University examined 114 clinical trials of
    Vioxx and other drugs and found that Vioxx was linked to substantially higher rates
    of high blood pressure than was Celebrex, which is still sold.

    In the other paper, two Australian researchers found that Vioxx appeared more dangerous
    than Celebrex or several older painkillers in observational studies, which attempt to
    examine the safety and effectiveness of drugs in real-world settings after they are
    approved.