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Drugs - Vioxx
Merck Found Liable in Vioxx Case
Texas Jury Awards Widow $253 Million
By Marc Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 20, 2005; Page A01
After less than 11 hours of
deliberation, a Texas jury yesterday found
Merck & Co. responsible for the death of a
59-year-old triathlete who was taking the
company's once-popular painkiller, Vioxx.
The jury hearing the first Vioxx
case to go to trial awarded the man's widow
$253.4 million in punitive and compensatory
damages -- a sharp rebuke to an industry
leader that enjoyed an unusually favorable
public image before the Vioxx debacle began
to unfold one year ago.
Through the
determined use of experience and compassion, our personal injury
lawyers at Karlin & Fleisher have successfully litigated
defective drug cases in the state of
Illinois and over much of the US.
The pharmaceutical
industry now spends billions of dollars every year to develop
and market prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.
Unfortunately, pharmaceutical companies sometimes fail to share
all information about adverse effects of a drug, and as a
result, physicians and consumers are not aware of the potential
reactions that they might face. People are also sometimes harmed
when their pharmacists improperly fill their prescriptions by
either dispensing incorrect dosages, or even worse, the wrong
prescription entirely. Other times, patients are permanently
injured or worse, killed, by defective drugs. For more
information call us at Karlin & Fleisher today.
Vioxx Recalled for Suspected Link to Heart Conditions
On September 30, 2004, Merck Pharmaceuticals voluntarily
withdrew the drug Vioxx from the market. The withdrawal came at
the conclusion of a long clinical study to test the
effectiveness of the drug on the reduction of colon polyps.
During that study, it became clear that people on the drug for
more than eighteen months were at twice the risk for heart
attacks, strokes, and other serious cardiovascular events.
Released in 1999, Vioxx is part of a class of drugs called
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID). Specifically, Vioxx
inhibits proteins called cyclo-oxygenase 1 and 2 (COX 1 & 2).
Inhibiting these proteins help control pain and inflammation it
the body. However, in some instances the inhibition of these
proteins causes the platelets in the blood to become sticky. The
platelets collect together and in turn cause blood clots,
seriously disrupting the cardiovascular system. Merck’s recent
studies have confirmed this type of negative side effect in
Vioxx.
During Merck’s VIGOR (Vioxx Gastrointestinal Outcomes
Research) study in 1999, they discovered that risk of death and
cardiovascular events with Vioxx was considerably higher than
other drugs in the same group. The APPROVe (Adenomatous Polyp
Prevention on VIOXX) study in 2004 confirmed the deleterious
effects Vioxx had on those who took the drug for more than
eighteen (18) months.
Merck, however, downplayed the studies and continued to
market the drug. Not until the most recent study did Merck
decide to withdraw the drug. Sales of Vioxx worldwide reached
$2.5 billion last year alone. If you or someone you know has
been a victim of a Vioxx related injury , contact an attorney
for a consultation.
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