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Merck accused of greed

July 14, 2005

The lawyer representing a Texas man's family said Merck & Co. cared more about profits than safety in the opening of the first Vioxx-related lawsuit to go to trial.

The Vioxx case claims Robert Ernst died of heart problems at the age of 59 after taking Vioxx for eight months to treat pain in his hands. Ernst's family accuses Merck of hiding safety risks from the public and the Food and Drug Administration.

Merck pulled Vioxx off the market last September after a study showed it increased the risk of heart attack and stroke. The company now faces thousands of lawsuits related to Vioxx. Merck maintains it immediately removed the drug upon learning it was linked to serious safety risks, but lawsuits against the company contend the company was aware of the problems years before its eventual withdrawal.

In the opening statement, the plaintiff's lawyer told the 12-member jury that Merck was a good company until 1994 when it installed new management and turned its focus too heavily to profits. The new management turned Merck "into an ATM machine," the Ernst lawyer said.

After the Vioxx recall, Merck was criticized for its efforts to heavily promote Vioxx which caused a higher number of patients to unnecessarily switch or request the drug and its cardiovascular risks. Merck has set aside less than $1 billion for legal expenses, according to its latest financial filing, but depending on the outcome of this first trial, the company's liability could potentially grow a considerable amount.

Worldwide sales of Vioxx topped $2.5 billion in 2003, according to Merck's website

For more information on the Vioxx trial, please contact us to confer with a Vioxx Recall Lawyer and learn your legal rights and options.

 

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