Recent news on the status of Vioxx and other Cox-2 inhibitors is here. It is our hope that these drugs are put back on the market unless the risk of heart attack turns out to be very high. It is not clear at this point that it is.
There are a lot of people in terrible pain who would surely be willing to accept a moderately elevated risk of heart trouble in the future in order to live whatever days they have left in relative comfort. Perhaps it will be determined that there are ways to mitigate the risk.
In any event, it is unfortunate that these drugs are no longer available to those who find the possibility of a distant heart attack much more acceptable than the certain prospect of immediate chronic pain and who are prepared to live with the hazard.