After a three-year study identified Vioxx as a defective drug due to increased risk of heart attack and stroke in patients, Merck, the manufacturer of Vioxx, voluntarily pulled the arthritis drug from the market on Thursday, September 30, 2004. The prescription drug Vioxx was popularly prescribed to patients for osteoarthritis treatment. Now that these health risks have been confirmed, patients should contact their primary care physician for information on other treatment options.

Learn more about filing a drug recall lawsuit.