VIOXX® Information Center

On September 30, 2004, Merck announced it was voluntarily withdrawing Vioxx^® (rofecoxib) from the market worldwide. Given the questions raised by the data from the APPROVe trial, and the availability of other therapeutic choices for patients, we concluded that a voluntary withdrawal was the responsible course to take.

Our decision comes down, basically, to those commitments that have long been the foundation of Merck Frosst: our commitment to scientific excellence; our commitment to patients; and our commitment to maintaining the highest ethics and values.

Scientific excellence
We remain committed to scientific excellence. Merck Frosst and the worldwide network of Merck companies will continue to make investment in research and development a priority. By the end of the decade, we expect to deliver numerous promising new drugs that will improve the health of millions of Canadians and people throughout the world. Our scientists are making real progress in early-stage research on such pressing unmet medical needs as diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease.

Patients First
Making patient safety our top priority has served us well as a business and will continue to be the cornerstone of our success as a company. The decision to voluntarily withdraw Vioxx^® from the market is consistent with the values and traditions of this company—putting patients first.

Ethics and values
We will continue to be fully committed to our ethics and values. This includes treating everyone with whom we work and deal with true dignity and respect. It also includes a strong ethos of corporate social responsibility. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethics. We define what those standards are, we educate all our employees about them, and we provide accountability at every level of the organization. In addition, we work to be good stewards of the opportunity and the resources we have been given. Our Patient Assistance Program, the Mectizan Donation Program, our work with the Gates Foundation in Botswana and our pricing program for antiretrovirals in the developing world are just some examples of our far-reaching commitment to corporate social responsibility.

As George W. Merck said: “We try never to forget that medicine is for the people...”

André Marcheterre, President of Merck Frosst