Federal Health Advisers Recommend Vioxx Successor Not Be Approved

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A painkiller proposed as a successor to Vioxx should not be approved, a panel of federal health advisers recommended Thursday.<br/><br/>The nonbinding 20-1 vote was on the drug Arcoxia,

Thursday, April 12th 2007, 3:16 pm

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A painkiller proposed as a successor to Vioxx should not be approved, a panel of federal health advisers recommended Thursday.

The nonbinding 20-1 vote was on the drug Arcoxia, made by Merck & Co. Inc.

A Food and Drug Administration drug safety expert earlier told the panel that the drug may increase substantially the risk of stroke and heart attack and is no more effective for pain relief than other medicines in the same class.