Scientist 'worried' at Vioxx heart risk

"A MERCK scientist involved in developing the company's anti-arthritis drug Vioxx admitted in an internal email two years before the drug was released that the possibility of increased heart attacks was "of great concern". A 1997 email written by Alise Reicin, tendered to the Federal Court as part of a case against the US pharmaceutical giant, reveals she was worried about the increased cardiovascular risks of the new anti-inflammatory drug when designing a clinical trial of Vioxx. "The possibility of increased CV (cardiovascular) events is of great concern - (I just can't wait to be the one to present these results to senior management!)," she writes in the email, dated February 25. Ms Reicin goes on to suggest they "exclude" any patients with a history of heart problems so the difference between the two study groups "would not be evident"." - The Australian