Stand Up for Science spotlights aspirin, Vioxx and the risks of pain relief drugs

Stand Up for Science released the sixth installment of its “Traces Thursday” series on Oct. 1, 2026, tracing the long history of pain relief drugs from willow bark and aspirin to Merck’s Vioxx. The case study highlights both the benefits of medical breakthroughs and the need for ongoing safety monitoring after drugs reach the market.

Why it matters: - The case study shows how major medicines can deliver real benefits while also creating unintended harms. - The series argues that drug safety does not end at approval and that post-market monitoring remains essential. - The broader message ties scientific progress to sustained basic and biomedical research over many years.

What happened: - Stand Up for Science released the sixth installment of its “Traces Thursday” series on Oct. 1, 2026. - The new entry, “Pain Control,” examines the history of modern pain relief drugs. - The story follows the path from willow bark to aspirin to rofecoxib, marketed as Vioxx by Merck. - Stand Up for Science plans a 12-part series, with new installments published each Thursday on the Science Fight Club Substack.

The details: - Willow bark has been used for pain and fever relief for thousands of years. - Scientists first synthesized acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin, in 1897. - Later research showed aspirin blocks an enzyme tied to signaling molecules that contribute to pain, inflammation and blood clotting. - That mechanism explains aspirin’s role in preventing cardiovascular events. - Research also showed aspirin can irritate the stomach and cause bleeding. - Additional research led to drugs intended to relieve pain without the same gastric side effects. - The FDA approved Vioxx in 1999. - Vioxx became a blockbuster drug before safety evidence led to its withdrawal in 2004. - The case study says understanding how medicines work, monitoring them in clinical trials and evaluating them after approval are all necessary to protect patients. - Dr. Jeremy Berg, author of the series, said the history of aspirin and rofecoxib shows both the benefits of scientific discovery and the need to keep testing assumptions about medicine and safety. - Berg is a former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at NIH and former editor-in-chief of Science magazine. - Berg now serves on Stand Up for Science’s Board of Advisors.

Between the lines: - The series is also a message about federal science funding. - Stand Up for Science says the medical advances in the series depend on research that lasts far longer than a single grant cycle or presidential administration. - The timing suggests the organization is using a medical history lesson to argue for sustained investment in basic science. - The aspirin-to-Vioxx arc underscores a recurring pattern in medicine: early wins can be followed by delayed safety problems.

What’s next: - Stand Up for Science will continue releasing “Traces Thursday” every Thursday. - The series will keep using historical drug-development cases to show how foundational research leads to medical breakthroughs. - Berg is available for comment.

The bottom line: - The new installment argues that the real test of a medicine begins after approval, when long-term benefits and hidden risks become clear.