Bad Day for Merck, Maker of Vioxx

It’s been a bad day for Merck, the maker of Vioxx. First, a New Orleans jury hit them with a $50,000,000 verdict for failure to warn doctors about the dangers of its drug, Vioxx. Then, a New Jersey state judge vacated a Merck victory, ordering a new trial for a postal worker who blamed his heart attack on taking the company’s Vioxx pain medicine for two months. Judge Carol Higbee ruled evidence uncovered since the November verdict showed that Merck withheld information showing heart attacks could come with use of Vioxx for less than 18 months.