As reported by the Associated Press today, a prominent cardiologist and major plaintiff witness in the first federal Vioxx trial denied Thursday that he is being courted as a litigation consultant by the attorney he has hired — a Texas lawyer leading numerous Vioxx lawsuits.
Dr. Eric Topol, in an e-mail to The Associated Press, said Thursday that plaintiff lawyer Mark Lanier had not asked him about consulting, and he would never accept such an offer. That accusation had been made by attorneys representing Merck, the manufacturer of Vioxx.