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A Beijing based law firm will file a collective lawsuit against Merck & Co. next year. Currently, the law firm is looking for former Chinese Vioxx users who have suffered from side effects.
Vioxx was taken off the worldwide market in September 2004 after a study found use of the popular painkiller for 18 months or longer significantly increased risks of heart attacks and strokes. According to attorney Hao Junbo from Beijing Limin Lawyer’s Office, he believes China has a large number of Vioxx users that have suffered side effects.
Vioxx generated $2.5 billion in annual sales in the U.S. before Merck took it off the market. About 20 million Americans took Vioxx. Reports by the FDA’s Office of Drug Safety’s David Graham estimated Vioxx might have contributed to 27,785 heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths between 1999 and 2003.
Hao said Chinese plaintiffs must meet certain conditions to join in the lawsuit, including a medical record showing side effects have been suffered because of Vioxx. A press officer for Merck & Co.’s Beijing branch told China Daily that she did not anticipate many side effects. Hao said so far a dozen patients have contacted his office in the past few days.
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