A study conducted at Oxford University and submitted for publication in the New England Journal of Medicine has found the recalled Vioxx drug increased heart risks immediately after patients started using the drug.

“It would appear…that patients do not need to take rofecoxib [generic for Vioxx] for 18 months to be at increased risk of a cardiovascular thrombotic event,” the study said.

The study, known as the “VICTOR” study, added the risks of heart attack and stroke went away two weeks after taking the last dosage. Merck & Co, Vioxx’s maker, recalled the drug in September 2004 and now faces roughly 28,000 product liability lawsuits from injuries patients contend were caused by Vioxx.

Source: Heather Won Tesoriero, “New Vioxx Study May Cast Doubt on Merck Claims,” Wall Street Journal, July 3, 2007.