After having been reported to be disapproved by the FDA, Merck's arthritis drug Arcoxia was officially panned by the Food and Drug Administration this past week, taking with it any hopes of that drug ever being sold in the U.S.

The new osteoarthritis drug will continue to be marketed outside of the U.S. according to Merck representatives, but won't be seen in the U.S.

Although Arcoxia will be sold in 63 countries, Merck was unable to prove to the FDA that it was a better pain drug than related drugs. After the Vioxx mess from a few years back, it was going to be an uphill climb to prove that Arcoxia was also safe. Apparently, it was not.