e-859 (Pharmaceutical industry)

Petition to the Government of Canada

• The reason for this petition is to ask for an investigation into the prescription drug company Merck Canada (previously known as Merck Frosst) located in Montreal, Quebec and its production of Vioxx a prescription drug for arthritis that caused thousands of heart attacks, strokes and deaths in Canada;
• Vioxx was wrongfully approved as being safe by Health Canada in the year 2000 and was taken off the market in 2004;
• It has been stated in a book written about Vioxx called "Poison Pills" by Tom Nesi that Merck knew Vioxx was dangerous and knowingly concealed the side affects to promote sales. The petitioners would like an investigation to determine if this is the truth;
• The many Canadian victims of the Vioxx prescription drug tragedy have been completely ignored by Health Canada and the Conservative Party even though Health Canada approved the drug as being safe;