Vioxx stroke risk could last years: health expert

Vioxx arthritis drug could be at risk of developing strokes for years, a prominent public health expert said on Thursday after examining new data from the drugmaker.

"It may be that Vioxx is causing permanent damage to the cardiovascular system, accelerating atherosclerosis or a sustained increase in blood pressure," said Dr. Curt Furberg, a member of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee.

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Furberg said his examination of the full report shows 7 Vioxx users had strokes, while two Vioxx users had mini-strokes in the year-long follow-up period -- compared with no such incidents in the placebo group.

"These data raise some very important questions because for a while we assumed Vioxx caused temporary problems, and here it is more than that. It could be causing permanent damage," Furberg said in an interview. "In the past we weren't quite sure of the stroke risk, so stroke is now back on the agenda in a bigger way."