<
Back to Michigan Vioxx Resources
Vioxx Recall Litigation
ANN ARBOR, MI – The arthritis drug Vioxx eased the pain of millions of patients but it also greatly increased the risk of heart attack and stroke among some of them. And that extra risk only came to light through after-the-fact analysis of data from Vioxx research studies.
Failure to identify such medical safety problems may often go unnoticed but could frequently be prevented if medical researchers changed the way they evaluate new medicines, medical devices and other treatments, according to a new paper in the journal Health Affairs. Such changes may have to be mandated, say the authors from the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System and the University of Michigan Health System.
The paper's authors say there are fundamental flaws in the way researchers usually analyze and report the results of medical studies, especially randomized clinical trials that are seen as the “gold standard” method for studying the effectiveness and safety of new treatments. Those flaws make it more likely that they'll miss signs of extra harm or extra benefit to subgroups of patients who have certain characteristics.
Only by analyzing results using a statistical method that considers several factors at once for instance, overall heart attack risk, rather than just individual risk factors such as age will researchers truly be able to see how the risks and benefits of a treatment vary from patient to patient, the study suggests.
This kind of analysis, called multivariable or risk-stratified analysis, would require more statistical know-how. But it could save lives and money, and allow patients to weigh a treatment's true risks and benefits to their health before starting treatment.
Contact Michigan Vioxx Attorneys
Contact an Vioxx Attorney for the following Michigan cities:
If you or anyone you know has taken Vioxx and has experienced difficulties due to the drug, contact our vioxx lawyer and receive a free case evaluation.
|
