Graham Says FDA Called Journal to Block Vioxx® Article

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Just days before a medical journal was to publish a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sponsored study that raised concerns about the safety of the arthritis drug Vioxx®, the USA Today reports that an official from the FDA took the unusual step of calling the editor to raise questions about the findings' scientific integrity.

Lead author Dr. David Graham says the call "was part of an effort to block publication of his research, an analysis of a database of 1.4 million Kaiser Permanente members showing those who took Vioxx® were more likely to suffer a heart attack or sudden cardiac death than those who took Celebrex®." Dr. Graham had previously reported his study in August at an epidemiology meeting in France, but this publication in the medical journal, The Lancet, would have exposed more information to a wider audience.

Dr. Graham found it particularly interesting that the "blocked" study was to be posted in The Lancet on November 17, 2004, a day in advance of his appearance before the Senate Finance Committee to testify about the FDA's handling of Vioxx®. Many people believe that this is more evidence that the FDA is clearly acting in the best interest of pharmaceutical companies rather than trying to actually protect the public. The news release shows evidence that the agency is caught actively blocking research that showed Vioxx® to be dangerous.

If you believe that you or a relative were injured by taking Vioxx® please use the form below to contact our law firm.

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