Vioxx and Celebrex are basically the same thing. They are both Cox-2 inhibitors. Bextra is also a related drug. Everyone thought that these were much safter then general COX inhibitors (which target both COX-1 and COX-2) because they do not have an impact on platelet aggregation and they are more protective on the gastrointestinal tract.

I would bet that those who took Vioxx, if they looked on their prescription warning sheets (given by the pharmacy) there was probably some kind of warking thta the COX-2 inhibitors can cause a higher incidence of cardiovascular thrombotic events. The reason I say this is because it is stated in my pharmacology book (which was published 2 years ago). So, it was known there was a risk with taking these agents.

I have to say that any pharmaceutical you choose take poses a possible risk to your health. Many advise not to take new medications that come to market for the first 7 years they are available because the side effects are not always known. Yeah, there are years of clinical trials and the FDA has mandates on what is safe and what is not but unfortnately there is no better alternative and most of the time the study size isn't as large as it should be and it isn't given the adequate amount of time.

Unfortunately, that is the price we pay for the advancements we make in medical/pharmaceutical industries.