Vioxx News
Merck to pay $58M in Vioxx settlement
-Boston Business Journal
05/21/2008- Drug company Merck & Co. Inc., which has a large employment presence in Massachusetts, will pay $58 million to Massachusetts, 28 other states and the District of Columbia to settle lawsuits claiming Merck allegedly used deceptive marketing tactics for painkiller Vioxx.
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley called settlement as the "largest consumer protection settlement to date" regarding the promotion of a prescription drug.
Coakley said that under the settlement, Massachusetts will receive $1.64 million of the overall payment. Of that number, $500,000 goes to the Attorney General's Local Consumer Aid Fund, $1 million goes into a fund to help low-income, disabled or elderly consumers who take prescription drugs or to educate consumers about drug price differences.
The rest pays for costs and attorneys fees.
The consent judgment, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, prevents New Jersey-based Merck (NYSE: MRK) from misleading consumers in future advertising and mandates full disclosure of all known risks of Merck drugs.
Merck eventually pulled Vioxx from the marketplace after acknowledging that it could significantly increase the risk of heart attacks.
In a statement released by the company to Bloomberg Business News, Bruce Kuhlik, Merck's general counsel, said the company "remains committed to communications that help patients and their physicians choose medicines based on accurate, fair and balanced information. Today's agreement enables Merck to put this matter behind us and focus on what Merck does best, developing new medicines."
The judgment against Merck also bans the deceptive use of scientific data when marketing doctors and "ghost writing" of articles and studies. It also addresses conflict of interest issues.
Merck additionally must seek FDA approval for direct to consumer television drug advertisements and comply with regulatory recommendations if they want the advertising delayed.
Merck employs more than 150 people at a research facility in Boston's Longwood area.
If you or a loved one have experienced side effects from taking Vioxx, you may be entitled to compensation. Call the Vioxx attorneys at Ennis & Ennis P.A. or fill out the form on this page for a free case evaluation. Our on staff nurse and lawyers are standing by to answer any questions you may have about Vioxx side effects, Vioxx lawsuits, or any other Vioxx litigation.
