Merck to Pay 3,100 Vioxx Claims
According to an article on Philly.com, a $4.85 billion fund was set up so that Merck & Co. Inc. can compensate kin of those who died of heart attacks or strokes.
The claims are from the families of more than 3,100 users of its Vioxx painkiller who died of heart attacks or strokes because of the drug.
The fund will pay about 3,000 claims for heart-attack deaths and at least 122 for strokes.
Merck launched Vioxx in 1999 and withdrew it in 2004 when a study showed the drug doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Merck set up the fund in 2007 after reserving $1.9 billion to fight 26,600 Vioxx lawsuits.
The facts of each case determine the extent of Merck’s liability, which analysts once estimated to be as much as $20 billion overall.
Families of heart-attack victims who died will get an average payment of about $374,000. The amount will depend on the Vioxx user’s age, how long he or she took the drug, and whether the person had health risks such as obesity or hypertension.
Merck settled after plaintiffs claimed in state and federal courts that it didn’t adequately disclose safety data about Vioxx to the Food and Drug Administration, didn’t properly warn doctors and patients of the drug’s risks, and misrepresented the potential harm in marketing materials.
People of all ages take prescription drugs, non- prescription drugs, and supplements on a daily basis in the United States to prevent and treat various illnesses. Although these medications are supposed to help people, many people have suffered serious side effects, and even death. If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of a dangerous drug, such as Vioxx, the Pennsylvania pharmaceutical drug litigation attorneys at Cherry Fieger and Marciano, LLP may be able to help you recover the monetary compensation that you deserve.
Source report:http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20090926_Firm_to_pay_3_100_Vioxx_claims.html
