(…) The pain drug became synonymous with pharmaceutical risk more than 15 years ago when studies revealed that it roughly doubled patients’ risk of heart attack and stroke, leading to an estimated 60,000 deaths. That led to a congressional investigation, allegations of lapses at the Food and Drug Administration, and agreement by the manufacturer, Merck, to pay a nearly $5 billion settlement and pull Vioxx off the market.
For years, though, Tremeau Pharmaceuticals, a privately held Massachusetts drug company, has been seeking to resurrect the drug — Merck’s patents have expired — and pressing forward with a plan to convince the Food and Drug Administration to approve Vioxx for patients with hemophilic arthropathy …
