According to a November 10th court filing, pharmaceutical company, Merck & Co., has agreed to settle Vioxx lawsuits in the states of New York, Florida and South Carolina.
The company previously paid $4.85 billion in order to resolve more than 27,000 lawsuits that claimed their pain killer, Vioxx, caused patients to suffer heart attacks. Prosecutors also alleged that the company misled state officials regarding the drug’s overall safety and health risks.
Vioxx was pulled from the market in 2004, after research revealed a link between use of the drug and an increased risk for heart attack and stroke. Merck was criticized for downplaying the drug’s health risks and manipulating research data to help promote their product.
Regardless, Merck continues to stand by its product, insisting that Vioxx was not the cause of patients’ heart attacks. The company also maintains that it did properly warn doctors and consumers about the risks associated with Vioxx.
