Merck's Arcoxia gets official non-approval from FDA

It was quite surprising that the FDA returned the Vioxx anti-pain drug to the market after it was pulled by its manufacturer due to reports of serious heart problem side effects. How about you? Anyway, the drug's manufacturer, Merck, is facing another hurdle as its Arcoxia drug is facing intense scrutiny as well. In other words, the FDA sent Arcoxia packing with a non-approval.

But in related news, reports came in just after Arcoxia's FDA rejection hurdles that stated 1,000 Vioxx lawsuits may be thrown out of court. The mixed signals for Merck here end in the company stating that "We will continue to market Arcoxia outside the U.S., where it has been approved for a broad range of applications, including osteoarthritis."