The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing two television commercials for Merck & Co. Inc.'s arthritis medication Vioxx due to the advertisements' failure to mention the drawbacks of the drug. In the first ad, Vioxx's name is mentioned but not its indication. The second mentions Vioxx's indication but not its name. FDA rules require advertisements to reveal side effects of a drug if both the medication's name and benefits are stated. Health officials say the commercials, which feature Olympic skater Dorothy Hamill, are too similar and may be misconstrued as a single advertisement mentioning both
Vioxx's name and benefits.