Vioxx Grand Jury Probe - Latest Headache for Merck

Susy Owen

Attorney

0 CommentsPrint ArticleSubscribe

As is widely known, Vioxx maker Merck is in the process of settling thousands of lawsuits against the pain reliever Vioxx, one of their best selling drugs. Now, according to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts is investigating whether Merck is guilty of off-label marketing to health-care professionals.

It has been estimated that Vioxx could have contributed to as many as 27,785 heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths between 1999 and 2003. Vioxx was finally taken off the market in 2004, and not a minute too soon. To make matters worse, Dr. David Graham, associate director for science in the FDA Drug Center's Office of Drug Safety, told Senate investigators that he received veiled threats and was subjected to intimidation when he informed the FDA of his findings, which were clearly unfavorable to one of Merck's top selling drugs, Vioxx. Now, the Justice Department has issued a subpoena requesting information relating to the company's research, marketing and sales of Vioxx, so Merck's problems are far from over. Stay tuned.

Additional Information Pertaining to Defective and Dangerous Products