Vioxx is banned in India, finally

NEW DELHI: Despite pressures from the pharma industry, the government on Monday accepted an expert group''s recommendation that popular painkiller Roficoxib should be banned.
The expert group meeting was called hastily after TOI reported that the government had not yet taken any action even though globally, patients were being advised against using the drug.
Pharmaceutical company Merck withdrew the drug, commonly known as Vioxx in the US, following damning evidence that it can cause heart attacks and strokes. But Indian pharmaceutical companies had refused to withdraw the drug, taking the plea that there was no ban by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The fact that Merck had done so despite the drug being a blockbuster (with sales crossing $2.5 billion) in the interest of consumer safety, was overlooked. In fact, scientists are now questioning why it wasn''t done earlier.
In India, the drug sells under popular brand names such as Rofib, Roff, Rofibax, Rofiz and Toroxx. These drugs are prescribed as painkillers.
The meeting was attended by top professionals from various medical colleges and government officials. Director-general of health services S P Aggarwal chaired the meeting.
There were pressures from the industry to allow the drug for short-term use, but the experts did not agree. Ranbaxy, for instance, had said earlier it would advise physicians to prescribe Rofibax only for short-term use. Drug companies here have been taking this plea as trials showed it was only after 18 months that heart rate suddenly increased.
However, officials said that with no regulatory framework in place in India, it would be difficult to monitor use.