King Rattus, please don't diss scientists. We do the best we can within the constraints. At the end of the day, it was the FDA which approved this stuff.

I've been following this for awhile, and suspected that there would be some changes coming down the pike. But I expected a "black box warning", not a withdrawal. Merck probably thought it would be cheaper in the long run to pull the drug than fight lawsuits. Also, there are tons of painkillers out there, from aspirin, Advil and Tylenol over the counter to Celebrex and Mobic for prescription offerings.

I feel bad for those who successfully took Vioxx and now have to find another alternative.

ANY drug can have harmful effects! That's why people have to have a good dialog with their MD and their pharmacist.