RT Journal
A1 Luepker RV
T1 Drug safety: Are we making progress?: comment on “pooled analysis of rofecoxib placebo-controlled clinical trial data”
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2010
FD January 25
VO 170
IS 2
SP 202
OP 202
DO 10.1001/archinternmed.2009.496
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2009.496
AB 
As shown by Ross et al1 in a recent issue of the Archives, data from 30 published and unpublished placebo-controlled trials enrolling 20 152 subjects suggest that the excess in cardiovascular events was apparent by June 2001, 3 years before the drug was withdrawn from the market. Although we cannot go back in time to save the unnecessary morbidity and mortality due to the delay in removing the drug from the market, have we taken the necessary steps to avoid similar situations in the future?