Atlanta, Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer
Ransdell Pierson of Reuters reported that Merck & Co (MRK.N) announced today that more than 97 percent of eligible U.S. claimants had elected to participate in its $4.85 billion proposed Vioxx settlement.
To be eligible for the proposed settlement, patients or their survivors had to have filed a Vioxx product liability lawsuit in the United States for alleged heart attacks, stroke or death or have signaled officially their intent to do so.
Vioxx had generated sales of $2.5 billion a year before the arthritis and chronic pain pill was withdrawn from U.S. drugstores almost four years ago after a Merck study showed that long-term users had twice the risk of heart attack and stroke.
A very large clinical trial of Vioxx conducted almost a decade ago showed the medicine caused about a fourfold higher risk of heart attack than the widely used painkiller naproxen.
Despite the results, the FDA allowed Vioxx to remain on the market. Then Merck heavily advertising the drug despite its knowledge of the risks.
Some good news is that many industry analysts feel the FDA has become far more careful about approving new medicines since Vioxx was taken off the market.
To be eligible for the proposed settlement, patients or their survivors had to have filed a Vioxx product liability lawsuit in the United States for alleged heart attacks, stroke or death or have signaled officially their intent to do so.
Vioxx had generated sales of $2.5 billion a year before the arthritis and chronic pain pill was withdrawn from U.S. drugstores almost four years ago after a Merck study showed that long-term users had twice the risk of heart attack and stroke.
A very large clinical trial of Vioxx conducted almost a decade ago showed the medicine caused about a fourfold higher risk of heart attack than the widely used painkiller naproxen.
Despite the results, the FDA allowed Vioxx to remain on the market. Then Merck heavily advertising the drug despite its knowledge of the risks.
Some good news is that many industry analysts feel the FDA has become far more careful about approving new medicines since Vioxx was taken off the market.
Labels: brain injury, death, injury settlements, pain, vioxx
As reported in the AJC, last Wednesday a Texas appeals court overturned a multimillion-dollar verdict against Merck & Co. in a case involving the painkiller Vioxx.
In 2006, a Texas jury awarded the widow of 71-year-old Leonel Garza $32 million for his wrongful death. However that verdict was later reduced to $7.75 million under Texas laws capping injury damages.
Three weeks ago, the Texas Court of Appeals overturned the verdict, ruling that the plaintiff’s family failed to provide evidence that Mr. Garza’s heart disease could not have caused the heart attack that killed him in 2001. Mr. Garza died of a heart attack after taking Vioxx for only a few weeks.
During the trial, lawyers for the pharmaceutical firm argued that Garza's heart attack was the result of chronic heart disease.
Merck pulled the painkiller off the market in 2004, after the company's internal research showed the painkiller doubled risk of heart attacks and strokes. That action triggered many lawsuits against Merck, which has a $4.85 billion settlement pending. If you have a question about a harmful drug, email us at the Law Offices of Michael L. Neff.
In 2006, a Texas jury awarded the widow of 71-year-old Leonel Garza $32 million for his wrongful death. However that verdict was later reduced to $7.75 million under Texas laws capping injury damages.
Three weeks ago, the Texas Court of Appeals overturned the verdict, ruling that the plaintiff’s family failed to provide evidence that Mr. Garza’s heart disease could not have caused the heart attack that killed him in 2001. Mr. Garza died of a heart attack after taking Vioxx for only a few weeks.
During the trial, lawyers for the pharmaceutical firm argued that Garza's heart attack was the result of chronic heart disease.
Merck pulled the painkiller off the market in 2004, after the company's internal research showed the painkiller doubled risk of heart attacks and strokes. That action triggered many lawsuits against Merck, which has a $4.85 billion settlement pending. If you have a question about a harmful drug, email us at the Law Offices of Michael L. Neff.
Labels: appeal, damages, lawsuit, settlement, tort reform, vioxx, wrongful death
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