Merck: Yeah, our Research Chief, Peter Kim, was wrong - cardiovascular problems much more widespread...

Researchers at Merck (nyse: MRK - news - people ) now say that the cardiovascular effects that caused Vioxx to be pulled from the market were part of a "class effect," which may extend at least two other similar medicines. When Vioxx was withdrawn in September, Merck research chief Peter Kim said that results for one such drug, a member of a class of painkillers called Cox-2 inhibitors, could not be extended to other such medicines. But Merck researchers today referred to the Vioxx issue as a class effect. The researchers were addressing a panel of experts convened by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration trying to analyze the effects of pain drugs, including not only Vioxx but also Celebrex and Bextra, both made by Pfizer (nyse: PFE - news - people ). In a statement handed out to reporters, Merck said that the class effect might extend beyond these Cox-2 inhibitors, to many older non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. That could include common treatments such as ibuprofen, the active ingredient in Johnson & Johnson's (nyse: JNJ - news - people ) Motrin, and Advil from Wyeth (nyse: WYE - news - people ).

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