U.S. FDA rejects painkiller Arcoxia, Merck's Vioxx successor

I would think that the FDA rejection of Arcoxia is not going to help its chances of being approved in Canada. As far as I'm aware, it's still somewhere in the Health Canada approval process.

From CBC News:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected Merck & Co.'s request to market a successor to its withdrawn arthritis drug Vioxx in the United States, the drug maker said Friday.

The move was widely expected, after a panel of FDA advisers two weeks ago voted 20-1 against approving the drug, Arcoxia.

Arcoxia is in the class of anti-inflammatory drugs called COX-2 inhibitors, which are touted as less likely to cause stomach bleeding and other dangers but have been linked to cardiac risks. ...more