Vioxx News:

Merck Settles Thousands of Vioxx Claims for $4.85 Billion For immediate release

Vioxx Settlement Announced – Nov 9, 2007

Merck & Co., Inc. has agreed to pay $4.85 billion to resolve Vioxx-related claims in which a claimant has suffered a heart attack, sudden cardiac death, or stroke.

After more than five years of hard-fought and difficult litigation, Merck has agreed to pay $4.85 billion, the largest pharmaceutical settlement in history, to resolve certain Vioxx-related claims involving plaintiffs who suffered a heart attack (including sudden cardiac death) or a stroke. Levin Papantonio’s Troy Rafferty and his team of Vioxx lawyers – Pete Kaufman and Rachael Gilmore — played an integral role in the in the mass tort litigation that led to Merck agreeing to settle these cases. Mr. Rafferty is known nationwide as one of the leading Vioxx lawyers. He is Co-Lead of Discovery litigation for the national Vioxx MDL proceeding in New Orleans, and he is one of the few attorneys in the country that has tried a Vioxx cases before a jury.

The Settlement Program will settle the claims of thousands of qualified claimants who suffered a heart attack, ischemic stroke, or sudden cardiac death resulting from Vioxx. The settlement funds will be allocated among thousands of qualifying claims based upon an evaluation of each Qualifying Claimant’s medical records by a Claims Administrator. We feel the Settlement Program is fair and that it provides qualifying clients the ability to be compensated for their injuries in the foreseeable future, rather than competing for a trial date with the thousands of other Vioxx cases pending nationally.

Details regarding the Settlement Program, including eligibility and qualification requirements, may be accessed by clicking on the following links:

• Vioxx Master Settlement Agreement
• Claimant Valuation Examples
• Description of Settlement
• Official Press Release – Vioxx Settlement Announced
• Vioxx Master Settlement Agreement – With Exhibits
• www.officialvioxxsettlement.com/calculator/

Vioxx Pulled From Worldwide Market

September 30, 2004

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today acknowledged the voluntary withdrawal from the market of Vioxx (chemical name rofecoxib), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) manufactured by Merck & Co. FDA today also issued a Public Health Advisory to inform patients of this action and to advise them to consult with a physician about alternative medications.

Merck is withdrawing Vioxx from the market after the data safety monitoring board overseeing a long-term study of the drug recommended that the study be halted because of an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes, among study patients taking Vioxx compared to patients receiving placebo. The study was being done in patients at risk of developing recurrent colon polyps.

“Merck did the right thing by promptly reporting these findings to FDA and voluntarily withdrawing the product from the market,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Lester M. Crawford. “Although the risk that an individual patient would have a heart attack or stroke related to Vioxx is very small, the study that was halted suggests that, overall, patients taking the drug chronically face twice the risk of a heart attack compared to patients receiving a placebo.”

Dr. Crawford added that FDA will closely monitor other drugs in this class for similar side effects. “All of the NSAID drugs have risks when taken chronically, especially of gastrointestinal bleeding, but also liver and kidney toxicity. They should only be used continuously under the supervision of a physician.”

FDA approved Vioxx in 1999 for the reduction of pain and inflammation caused by osteoarthritis, as well as for acute pain in adults and for the treatment of menstrual pain. It was the second of a new kind of NSAID (Cox-2 selective) approved by FDA. Subsequently, FDA approved Vioxx to treat the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in adults and children.

At the time that Vioxx and other Cox-2 selective NSAIDs were approved, it was hoped that they would have a lower risk of gastrointestinal ulcers and bleeding than other NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen and naproxen). Vioxx is the only NSAID demonstrated to have a lower rate of these side effects.

Merck contacted FDA on September 27, 2004, to request a meeting and to advise the agency that the long-term study of Vioxx in patients at increased risk of colon polyps had been halted. Merck and FDA officials met the next day, September 28, and during that meeting the company informed FDA of its decision to remove Vioxx from the market voluntarily.

 *Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

In The News: Vioxx

• Merck agrees $4.85bn Vioxx settlement

  MSNBC – Nov 9, 2007

  A settlement to ring-fence Merck’s Vioxx liabilities marks the most significant step yet for the company to put behind it one of the pharmaceutical …

• Vioxx Timeline

  Wall Street Journal – Nov 9, 2007

  Key events in the saga of Vioxx, once a blockbuster painkiller. Its maker, Merck, faced lawsuits from 47000 people and for years said it would fight them …

• Burning Questions

  Newark Star Ledger, NJ – May 5, 2007

  After Merck’s withdrawal of Vioxx, some companies switched to help-seeking ad campaigns, but they didn’t last. So, why would the industry change now? …

• April 30, 2007. By Evelyn Pringle

    Newark, NJ: In 2006, Merck spent $500 million, including $175 million in the fourth quarter, in legal defense costs worldwide related to Vioxx litigation, according to SEC filings.

    In addition, after reviewing actual costs and estimating future costs, the company says it has recorded a charge of $75 million to increase the reserve for future defense costs related to Vioxx to $858 million as of December 31, 2006.

    However, although the legal team obviously plans to get paid well, there is no indication that Merck plans to pay any money to people injured by Vioxx because, according to the filing, Merck has not established any reserves for potential liability related to Vioxx. …

• Merck undaunted by bad drug development news

  Blogging Stocks – Mar 29, 2007

  MRK is also getting some positive results recently in its Vioxx court cases, with the count now 10 verdicts in favor of Merck and five for the plaintiffs. …

• British plaintiffs in Vioxx suit argue to move case back to the US

  Newark Star Ledger, NJ – Mar 29, 2007

  Merck, which is based in Whitehouse Station, pulled Vioxx off the market in 2004 after a study found patients taking the medicine were more likely to suffer …

• Jurors back Vioxx maker in death of Illinois woman

  Orlando Sentinel, FL – Mar 28, 2007

  EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — A state jury Tuesday sided with Vioxx maker Merck & Co. over claims that its once-blockbuster painkiller caused the 2003 deadly heart …

• Vioxx case puts spotlight on FDA drug approval process

  St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO – Mar 24, 2007

  EDWARDSVILLE – Drugmaker Merck studied its blockbuster painkiller Vioxx well beyond the minimum federal requirements. At all times, the pharmaceutical giant …

• Merck appeals potentially costly NJ class action

  Reuters – Mar 19, 2007

  Merck & Co. made its latest case on Monday to decertify a class-action lawsuit involving pain drug Vioxx, which opposition attorneys said could cost the drugmaker up to $27 billion.

• Merck scientists defend Vioxx

  Alton Telegraph – Alton, IL – Mar 16, 2007

  Merck & Co., accused of knowingly selling Vioxx despite its potential to cause heart attacks, started to unfold its defense Thursday by …

• NJ Jury Awards $47.5 Million in Vioxx Heart Attack Retrial

  Insurance Journal, CA – Mar 14, 2007

  Merck’s painkiller Vioxx contributed to an Idaho postal worker’s heart attack, a jury in Atlantic City has ruled, reversing the verdict in the man’s first trial …

• Plaintiffs wrap up their case in Midwest’s first Vioxx trial

  WQAD – Moline, IL – Mar 13, 2007

  Attorneys for a Metro East widower who claims the once-popular painkiller Vioxx contributed to his wife’s 2003 death wrapped up their …

• Health databases should be mined for evidence of drug safety …

  KOMO – Seattle, WA – Mar 13, 2007

  WASHINGTON (AP) – Safety problems with Vioxx could have been detected in months rather than years if the Food and Drug Administration had been able to sift …

• NJ Jury Awards $20M to Vioxx User Who Suffered Heart Attack

  New York Law Journal – New York, NY – Mar 13, 2007

  An Atlantic City, NJ, jury on Monday awarded $18 million in compensatory damages to a former user of the painkiller Vioxx, and $2 million to his wife, …

• Judge’s inaction lets $7.75 million Vioxx verdict stand

  KLTV – Tyler, TX – Mar 11, 2007

  RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas A seven-point-75 (M) million dollar jury award over the drug Vioxx will stand. A South Texas judge let Merck’s request for a new…

• Ruling favors Merck in next Vioxx trial phase

  NorthJersey.com, NJ – Mar 6, 2007

  ATLANTIC CITY — Merck & Co. won’t have to defend against claims that the painkiller Vioxx caused a Wisconsin man’s fatal heart attack during the second …

• Mixed Verdicts for Merck in Vioxx Cases

  New York Times, NY – Mar 2, 2007

  The company has vowed to fight each lawsuit individually rather than settle suits collectively. The two-phase format represents an experiment to speed …

• Jury splits on New Jersey Vioxx cases

  CNNMoney.com – Mar 2, 2007

  The other lawsuit was brought by the estate of Brian Hermans, who suffered a fatal heart attack in September of 2002 after using Vioxx for 21 months. …

• Merck Failed to Warn of Vioxx Heart Risk, Jury Finds

  Bloomberg – Mar 2, 2007

  Merck won an earlier trial on Humeston’s lawsuit. Superior Court Judge Carol Higbee overturned that verdict and ordered a retrial. …

• Man who lost wife tests Vioxx maker in court

  Belleville News-Democrat, IL – Mar 1, 2007

  … and underwarned,” said Andy Birchfield, an attorney representing Granite City widower Frank Schwaller in his lawsuit against the maker of Vioxx. …

• Jury selection nears completion in Midwest’s first Vioxx trial

  WQAD, IL – Feb 28, 2007

  EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. Opening statements are expected today in Madison County in the Midwest’s first trial over the one-time blockbuster painkiller Vioxx. …

• Merck Raises Earnings Forecast on New Drug Sales (Update3)

  Bloomberg – Feb 28, 2007

  By Shannon Pettypiece. Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) — Merck & Co. boosted its earnings forecast for the year, citing job cuts as well as increased sales of drugs …

• Plaintiff’s attorney in Vioxx trial grills potential jurors

  St. Clair Record, IL – Feb 27, 2007

  By Steve Gonzalez – Edwardsville Bureau. Plaintiff’s attorney Mikal C. Watts of Corpus Christi, Texas told potential Vioxx jurors this morning that he will …

• Merck to pay IRS $2.3B in tax disputes

  Forbes, NY – Feb 14, 2007

  In announcing the agreement Wednesday, the Whitehouse Station, NJ-based company said the settlement resolves all outstanding tax disputes with the IRS, …

• Drug Lawsuits Debated in Michigan

  Grand Haven Tribune, MI – Feb 15, 2007

  Democrats have introduced bills that would repeal a 1996 law making it difficult for Michigan residents to sue for damages from side effects of prescription …

• whistle-blower weighs in on demoted antibiotic Ketek

  USA Today – Feb 13, 2007

  More than two years after David Graham told a Senate panel that the Food and Drug Administration was “incapable of protecting America against another Vioxx …

• Study Links Certain Painkillers to High Cholesterol Levels

  Newsinferno.com, NY – Feb 13, 2007

  Researchers at Winthrop-University Hospital in Long Island have determined that controversial drugs such as Vioxx and Bextra may impede the body’s ability …

• Lawmakers blast FDA drug safety oversight

  Reuters – Feb 13, 2007

  They cited problems with Sanofi’s antibiotic, Ketek, Merck & Co. Inc.’s withdrawn arthritis drug Vioxx and antidepressants made by several companies. …

• Vioxx trial puts Louisiana in top 10 jury awards list

  New Orleans CityBusiness, LA – Feb 12, 2007

  In the second-largest Vioxx verdict to date, a federal jury in New Orleans awarded $51 million to a 62-year-old retired FBI agent who suffered a heart …

• Vioxx judge reverses contempt finding

  Newark Star Ledger – Newark, NJ, USA – Feb 9, 2007

  The state Superior Court judge presiding over two Vioxx-related lawsuits in Atlantic City reconsidered her sanction against Merck’s lead attorney less than …

• Vioxx set to take center stage in Madison County

  Madison County Record – Edwardsville, IL, USA – Feb 8, 2007

  Plaintiff’s attorney John Driscoll of Brown & Crouppen will try to convince a jury that Vioxx caused or significantly contributed to the death of Frank …

• Business news in brief

  The Philadelphia Inquirer – Jan 31, 2007

  Merck & Co. Inc. reported yesterday that fourth-quarter profit plunged 58 percent despite higher revenue as the drugmaker took a slew of charges for restructuring costs, an acquisition and legal reserves, mainly for withdrawn pain reliever Vioxx. Merck reported net income of $473.9 million, or 22 cents a share, down from $1.12 billion, or 51 cents a share, in 2005’s last quarter. Based in …

• Merck ignored Vioxx warning signs, lawyer tells jury

  NorthJersey.com – Jan 26, 2007

  Merck & Co. failed to heed warning signs about the cardiovascular risks of its Vioxx painkiller before rushing it to market, said a lawyer for a man whose family blames his fatal heart attack on the drug.

• Merck attorney spars with Vioxx judge again

  The Star-Ledger – Jan 23, 2007

  A state Superior Court judge yesterday severely chided one of the lead attorneys defending drug- maker Merck against a pair of Vioxx-related lawsuits.

• Woman drops Vioxx lawsuit against Merck

  KNDO/KNDU, WA – Jan 22, 2007

  WHITEHOUSE STATION, NJ Merck says a woman suing the company over its painkiller Vioxx has voluntarily dropped her case with prejudice. …

• 01-22-07: Drug ads come under scrutiny

  The user fees that drug manufacturers pay to speed the reviewing of new drugs by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will elapse at the end of the year unless Congress elects to renew it. Both the industry and its critics agree that there should be a pause before the advertising starts, which would allow time for doctors to learn about a new drug.

• 
  “The court has decided that there’s validity in the action against Merck,” Regina lawyer Tony Merchant said yesterday. The lawsuit alleges the pain killer Vioxx caused serious and even fatal side effects such as heart attack, stroke, even death.
• 01-18-07: Mistrial declared in California Vioxx lawsuits after deadlock

  The Superior Court jury forced a mistrial in Vioxx lawsuits by two men who said their heart attacks were due to taking Vioxx. The plaintiffs argued their clients’ heart injuries were caused by Vioxx and that Merck knew for years the arthritis painkiller was a high risk for heart attacks, but Merck failed to fully disclose the danger to the patients, doctors and federal drug regulators.

• 01-17-07: N.J. court revives Vioxx lawsuit

  A New Jersey appeals court has revived a lawsuit which would make Merck & Co. Inc. fund a medical monitoring program for those who took the painkiller Vioxx. This medical monitoring program would detect potential heart problems in Vioxx patients.

• 12-26-06: Vioxx Decision Upheld, Award Reduced by Texas Court

  A Texas jury found the pharmaceutical company, Merck, liable for the Vioxx-related death of Leonel Garza. Although the original ruling was upheld, to Vioxx users, this meant that the courts accepted the idea that even short-term use of Vioxx may lead to side effects such as heart attacks and strokes.

• 12-13-06: Merck’s Vioxx Didn’t Cause Heart Attack, Jury Says (Update2)

  A federal jury in New Orleans ruled that Vioxx didn’t cause a Tennessee man’s heart attack. Wayne Dedrick, who had a history of diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol and family history of heart disease used Vioxx for six month before suffering a heart attack. Vioxx was withdrawn from the market it 2004.

• 12-04-06: Prevention, early testing key to heading off osteoporosis

  “If a girl reaches her menstrual cycle about 13, in the first seven to 10 years you acquire most of your bone density” and “maintain your activity when you start puberty.  Dr. Manuel Sanchez goes on to say, “women will lose about 30 percent of their bone mass within the first three years after menopause.”  Start early and get checked is what health experts are trying to tell people.

• 11-29-06: Study Finds Why Cox-2s Increase Heart Attack, Stroke Risk

  Vioxx is a Cox-2 painkiller designed to block certain hormones to prevent the swelling of joints. A new study by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal found Vioxx to also stop the Cox-1 enzyme; an enzyme that produces blood thinning agents.  Stopping the Cox-1 enzyme results in a greater risk of blood clots.

• 11-23-06: US judge: Vioxx suits can’t be merged

  US District Judge Eldon Fallon decided against a national class action suit regarding the thousands of pending Vioxx lawsuits as well as against the possibility of individual personal injury class action lawsuits for each state and for the District of Columbia.

• 11-16-06: Merck wins latest Vioxx case

  A federal jury determined Merck acted appropriately in marketing Vioxx and did not contribute to a Utah man who had taken Vioxx for 10 months and suffered a heart attack. Merck is still facing more than 23,000 Vioxx lawsuits.

• 11-14-06: In Vioxx’s Wake

  After the Vioxx recall: two bills working their way through the Senate that if passed, could lead to a restructure of the FDA and Merck is battling 20,000 product liability lawsuits related to Vioxx.

• 11-11-06: Quebec judge OKs class-action lawsuit against Vioxx

  Quebec is North America’s first jurisdiction to grant a class-action lawsuit against the arthritis drug Vioxx.  Quebec residents suffering problems from taking Vioxx between October 1999 and September 2004 (the time Vioxx was removed from market) are those eligible to join the Vioxx lawsuit.

• 11-09-06: Merck gets $5.6bn tax bill from the US and Canada

  Merck faces three separate accounting disputes; two with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and one with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The IRS is disputing a “capital loss” posted by the company.  Merck also faces thousands of Vioxx lawsuits.

• 11-08-06: Merck CEO says any Vioxx settlements years away

  With Merck still facing thousands of lawsuits from their withdrawn arthritis drug Vioxx, Merck’s Chief Executive Richard Clark says it could take years before all lawsuits are settled.  Merck’s strategy is to take on each lawsuit one at a time.

• 11-08-06: Vioxx Not Merck’s Only Problem

  The pharmaceutical company Merck now faces four tax disputes in the U.S. and Canada in addition to the pending Vioxx lawsuits. Merck pulled the Vioxx painkiller in September 2004 after studies linked the prescription to increased risks of heart attacks and strokes.  

• 11-03-06: Vioxx case filed

  Dessie Nichols, 79, filed her suit against Vioxx claiming the arthritis drug caused her pulmonary embolism. “Had Plaintiff been aware of any of the now-apparent risks and dangers of Vioxx, Plaintiff would not have taken the drug,” the complaint says.

• 10-19-06: Judge Orders Merck to Disclose Lawyers’ Fees in Vioxx Case

  Judge Carol Higbee’s ordered Merck to release records on how much they spent on a trial that combined two men who suffered heart attacks while taking Vioxx; the plaintiffs lawyers request that Merck pay their legal fees and expenses.

• 10-11-06: Courts Hire More Help To Deal With Vioxx Cases

  The state Administrative Office of Courts has approved a request for five new hires for the Atlantic County’s court to assist with Vioxx cases. There are about 14-thousand Vioxx lawsuits pending.

• 10-10-06: Lawsuit filed against Merck

  Merck faces another lawsuit as man suffers fatel heart attack in 2002 after taking Vioxx for two years. The Vioxx lawsuit says Robert J. Smith did not know the dangers of taking the drug; Merck recalled Vioxx in 2004.

• 10-06-06: Vioxx cases filed in Brooke County

  Charles Bolner and Kirk Scott both filed personal injury lawsuits agains Merck after taking the recalled perscription Vioxx. The complaint says that Merck “withheld information which it had in its possession concerning research, testing, lack of research and testing…”  Both seek compensatory and punitive damages.

• 10-04-06: Merck likely to face 40,000 Vioxx claims

  Reports show Merck’s Vioxx pill to face over 40,000 personal injury claims against the prescription stating heart problems, strokes and even death. Vioxx was taken off the market September 30, 2004. Those experiencing Vioxx side effects had to file their personal injury lawsuit by September 30, 2006.

• 09-30-06: Vioxx Lawsuits Surge To Beat Deadline

  Doors are closing for 22 states as a two year deadline for Vioxx patients filing personal injury lawsuits against Merck & Co., the maker of the arthritis painkiller, Vioxx draws near. Merck is facing over 21,000 lawsuits.

• 09-26-06: Merck Wins Vioxx Trial but Will Likely Face Much Tougher Cases in Future

  Some say the latest Vioxx trial against Merck, maker of Vioxx, was not a difficult case for Merck to win; man used Vioxx less than 5 months after advanced warnings were put on Vioxx labels. Merck faces thousands of Vioxx lawsuits, many by heart attack, stroke victims who used Vioxx before new warnings were released.

• 09-18-06: Latest studies reveal more risks with Vioxx

  New Vioxx study shows Vioxx users are not only subject to heart attacks and strokes, but kidney problems as well. Merck faces more than 14,000 Vioxx lawsuits.

• 09-18-06: Vioxx suit includes 25 Illinois plaintiffs

  25 Illinois Vioxx users are taking on Merck and Co. in another Vioxx lawsuit. Vioxx, a cox-2 inhibitor and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug, has been making the news since it was removed from the drug market in September 2004.

• 09-14-06: Merck shares fall on negative Vioxx reports

  The Journal of the American Medical Association reported a 2.5 percent slip in Merck & Co. and about 12.25 million shares traded. The report, composted of various studies, suggest a relation between Vioxx and kidney failure, Vioxx to increase heart attack and stroke upon use instead of the suggested 18-month usage and the ongoing Vioxx lawsuit.

• 09-13-06: New Research Casts Vioxx in Even Worse Light

  Past news has linked Merck’s arthritis painkiller, Vioxx to heart attacks, strokes and kidney problems. More recently, The Journal of American Medical Association has new research that says Vioxx also causes erratic heartbeats (also known as arrhythmia) and states heart problems could occur as early as one month after taking Vioxx.

• 09-10-06: A timeline for Vioxx litigation

  Follow the key Vioxx related events from the Food and Drug Administration approval of Vioxx to present day Vioxx lawsuits.  Events also include: heart attack findings, Vioxx withdrawal, New England Journal of Medicine published correction on Vioxx and more.

• 09-10-06: Next Vioxx Trial Set to Get Under Way

  Heart attack survivor Robert Garry Smith is set to take on Merck & Co. in the next federal Vioxx trial. Merck tried having the lawsuit thrown out because Smith started taking Vioxx after the heart attack “precaution” warning was added to the label.

• 09-06-06: Fosamax and other Bisphosphonates Linked to Debilitating Jaw Disease

  Fosamax has been linked to osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), a seriously jawbone problem reported by many who have taken the prescription drug. Fosamax, known as a bisphosphonate medication used for healing bone density problems, may now be subject to blocking bone reproduction of the jaw.

• 08-30-06: Judge Calls for New Trial in Vioxx Case

  After a $50 million compensatory damage award, a federal judge overturns the Merck & Co. loss, saying the amount was “grossly excessive.” Merck was still found accountable for failing to warn the Vioxx drug increases the chances of heart attacks.

• 08-29-06: Can Merck Survive Vioxx?

  Merck and Co., makers of the painkiller Vioxx, could be looking at hard times; all starting with recalling Vioxx in 2005. Merck lost millions in market value, has been order to payout $253.5 million in the first Vioxx liability trial, is down 40 percent in stock this year and still has thousands of Vioxx lawsuits pending.

• 08-21-06: Vioxx, The Sequel

  Studies conducted on the arthritis drug Arcoxia could lead researchers to what went wrong with the recalled drug Vioxx; linked to causing heart attacks, strokes and even death.

• 08-17-06: Merck’s bad day in court

  Superior Court Judge Carol Higbee overturned the Merck & Co. win over Frederick “Mike” Humeston after ruling more evidence surfaced since November.  Humeston blamed Vioxx for his heart attack in 2001.

• 08-17-06: Merck hit by Vioxx double whammy

  A New Orleans jury, who assigned blame only to Merck & Co. said Merck was to payout $51 million dollars to retired FBI agent, Gerald Barnett.  Barnett, who took Vioxx for over two years, suffered a heart attack at the age of 58.

• 08-03-06: Jury clears Merck in California’s first Vioxx trial, but cites risks

  California’s first Vioxx trial resulted in a Merck win after the jury decided that the prescription drug Vioxx, linked to heart attacks, strokes and even death, did not contribute to Stewart Grossberg’s health problems even though scientific studies led the jury to believe that those who use Vioxx are at a potential risk.  Merck still faces more than 16,000 Vioxx lawsuits.

• 08-02-06: LA Jury: Vioxx Maker Not Liable

  The California jury decided Wednesday that Merck was not liable for Elain Doherty’s health problems. The trial was held at New Jersey Superior Court in Atlantic City and was the seventh lawsuit over Vioxx.

• 07-24-06: NJ Supreme Court to hear appeal on class-action Vioxx suit

  The approved nationwide class-action lawsuit, which stated health plans paying for Vioxx could sue to recover the money paid out for prescriptions, will now undergo an appeal by Merck & Co.  According to Merck’s outside counsel Ted Mayer, “we have long believed that it is not an appropriate case to be handled as a class action because the situation of each insurance company and HMO is so different from one another.”

• 07-17-06: Analysis: A Vioxx vindication?

  Contrast to a number of analysts believing the win over the New Jersey case (woman was taking Vioxx for over thirty months) may be an example that the companies liability could be less than expected, with over 16,000 lawsuits against the athritis recalled drug, one analyst with UBS estimates the Vioxx liabilty to be around a $10 billion.

• 07-14-06: Merck wins Vioxx trial, with caveat

  Although Merck & Co. won a legal battle against Elaine Doherty stating that Vioxx cause her heart attack, jurors concluded Merck did not properly warn the woman about the drug’s cardiac risks as doctors were.  The Vioxx painkiller is currently the focus of at least 16,000 product liability lawsuits.

• 07-13-06: A look at the history of Vioxx litigation

  From 1999 to present day, read about key events involving the prescription drug Vioxx.

• 07-13-06: Merck’s president of U.S. human health is leaving company

  After almost 20 years working for Merck & Co.’s, the president of their U.S. human health division, Brad Sheares, is reportedly leaving the company.  Some speculate because of pending lawsuits over the prescription drugs Vioxx and Fosamax, this move could indicate additional internal company changes.

• 07-13-06: Merck wins latest Vioxx case

  Stewart Grossberg, a California man who suffered a heart attack after taking Vioxx heard from jurors that Merck was not negligent, did not conceal information and that the drug did not cause Stewart Grossberg’s health problems.

• 06-26-06: Revised Study Reveals Vioxx Flaw

  New study shows Vioxx users are at risk earlier than 18 months as first published. Now corrected in The New England Journal of Medicine, the risk of heart problems for those taking Vioxx could occur as early as 4 months of use.