It's 2001, FDA issued a warning letter to Merck

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to Merck in 2001 for misrepresenting the safety of their drug Vioxx (rofecoxib). The FDA also met with its Arthritis Advisory Committee in February 2001 to discuss concerns about the drug's potential cardiovascular risks, but it's unclear why the FDA waited two years after approving Vioxx to do so.