Canadian Physicians Can Now Prescribe Vioxx for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Canadian health authorities have agreed to allow doctors to prescribe the COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx (rofecoxib) for the relief of rheumatoid arthritis in adults.

"Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most painful and debilitating forms of arthritis," said Dr. Alfred Cividino, rheumatologist and associate clinical professor at McMaster University in Canada.

Cividino said Vioxx offers physicians and their patients a better tolerated alternative to traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in managing the pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis.

Citing the Vigor study that involved over 8,000 patients with rheumatoid arthritis in 22 countries, Merck Frosst, the Canadian subsidiary of Merck, said Vioxx significantly reduced the risk of serious gastrointestinal events by 54 percent compared to naproxen.

Naproxen is one of the NSAIDs most commonly used to treat pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Other sources: Merck Frosst