Denver man files suit over Vioxx

In Denver, CO federal court, a 58-year-old man filed suit against Merck, the maker of the popular painkiller Vioxx, claiming he is "permanently injured" from using Vioxx. The man suffered a "catastrophic" heart attack last June after being prescribed Vioxx for pain from hip surgery. The complaint alleges fraud, negligence, outrageous conduct and nine other claims against Merck. More information on this story can be found here, from the Denver Post.

Merck losing supporters in it's Vioxx legal defense

rding to TheStreet.com, as the number of Vioxx-related cases mounts, Merck is discovering that some of its insurers don't want to pay for the company's defense against the lawsuits. Merck says it will fight the insurers' efforts to reduce or eliminate coverage. Merck said the insurers initiated an arbitration proceeding to cancel certain policies "and to void all of their obligations under those policies with respect to the Vioxx lawsuits." The carriers also want to "void their coverage obligations with respect to certain other types of losses covered by those policies," the SEC filing said. Merck added that the number of product liability lawsuits filed in state and federal courts has grown to 850 as of Jan. 31, featuring more than 2,400 plaintiff groups. Merck removed Vioxx from the market Sept. 30 after noting that a clinical trial showed long-term use of the arthritis drug -- more than 18 months -- was linked to higher risks of heart attacks and strokes.

The entire story can be found here.

Rapid City Journal: S.D. law firm files Vioxx suits

Rapid City Journal: S.D. law firm files Vioxx suits

Merck suit:Vioxx led to death of city woman

The daughter of a 64-year-old Lowell woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., claiming her mother's use of the prescription painkiller Vioxx triggered a fatal heart attack.
Jeanette Anderson's $900,000 civil suit, filed in Lowell Superior Court, claims her mother, Esther Lee Wright, died on Feb. 8, 2002, of an acute myocardial infarction as a direct result of her use of Vioxx for several years.

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FDA panelists who approxed Vioxx had ties to drugmaker

The Center for Science in the Public Interest released a study yesterday which showed that 10 members of the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel which voted to allow the sales of Vioxx and other similar painkillers had ties to the drugmakers. These ties include consulting fees, speaking honoraria, and research support. Without these votes, drugs like Vioxx would never have hit the market (the panel only voted 17-15 in favor of releasing Vioxx to the public...sounds a little close to me, you think with so many people voting against it that it might raise a red flag that it needs to be researched more). Sounds like the FDA is just as guilty as Merck. Could they be named in a lawsuit too? More information can be found here, from the Seattle Times.

Merck's Vioxx shareholder suits consolidated

Class action litigation from those who have taken Vioxx are not Merck's only concern at the moment. Merck is also liable to it's shareholders, who were misled by the company they trusted and many lost thousands of dollars when the stock tumbled following the Vioxx recall. Well, today, the federal Judicial Panel of Multidistrict Litigation granted Merck & Co's motion to consolidate all pending shareholder lawsuits into one multidistrict litigation. Therefore, the cases are being transferred to a federal district court in New Jersey. More information can be found here from CBS Marketwatch.