[shubi]

Vioxx was just determined to be able to be sold. The whole class of drugs had more positive effect than negative. The whole hearing was on CSPAN.

It turns out, the publicity on the negative effects was mostly from trial lawyers. The drugs cure pain in people who otherwise would be house bound. Patients and their doctors pleaded to keep the drugs, saying quality of life was more important to them than a slight upward risk of heart attack, that could be managed now that the problem was understood.

It turns out that the people at risk of heart attack were the people who already were more at risk.

[grey_whiskers]

Vioxx was just determined to be able to be sold. The whole class of drugs had more positive effect than negative. The whole hearing was on CSPAN. It turns out, the publicity on the negative effects was mostly from trial lawyers. The drugs cure pain in people who otherwise would be house bound. Patients and their doctors pleaded to keep the drugs, saying quality of life was more important to them than a slight upward risk of heart attack, that could be managed now that the problem was understood. It turns out that the people at risk of heart attack were the people who already were more at risk.

Ummm, Shubi.
I already *knew* that.
I was talking about the attitude of the proverbial "man on the street".

Cheers!

Full Disclosure: Go Pfizer, Merck, and Johnson&Johnson!