Merck Opens Defense In Australian Class-Action Vioxx Suit
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
U.S. drug maker Merck said in an Australian trial there is no scientific link between its Vioxx (rofecoxib) and heart attacks reported in patients taking the drug to treat arthritis. A Merck attorney made the statement in a court trying a case involving the death of one of 1,000 Australians suing the company in a class-action suit. The counsel said evidence of a nexus between the drug and increased heart risk "remains contradictory and uncertain." The lawyer presented the stance in his opening argument as the defense began its side of the case. (Click here for more