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Merck Agrees To $58M Settlement Over Vioxx Ad Claims

As reported in the Dallas Morning News, Merck & Co. is paying $58 million as part of a multistate settlement concerning advertising of the now-withdrawn painkiller, Vioxx. Here are excerpts:

The settlement announced Tuesday addresses allegations that Merck’s advertising deceptively downplayed the health risks of Vioxx. New Jersey-based Merck is not admitting any wrongdoing under the settlement.

Texas’ share of the settlement will exceed $4 million, Attorney General Greg Abbott said in a statement.

Texas also has an active case in Travis County District Court from 2005 that accuses Merck of suppressing critical information about Vioxx to doctors, patents and the state Medicaid program, which spent $72 million on Vioxx prescriptions for Medicaid recipients during the period covered in the enforcement action.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett says Tuesday’s settlement ends investigations by 29 states and the District of Columbia into Merck’s advertising practices involving Vioxx.

The settlement also calls for Merck to submit all new TV commercials for ts drugs to the FDA for review.

Vioxx was taken off the market in 2004 after research showed it doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Bob Kraft

I am a Dallas, Texas lawyer who has had the privilege of helping thousands of clients since 1971 in the areas of Personal Injury law and Social Security Disability.

About This Blog

The title of this blog reflects my attitude toward those government agencies and insurance companies that routinely mistreat injured or disabled people. As a Dallas, Texas lawyer, I've spent more than 45 years trying to help those poor folk, and I have been frustrated daily by the actions of the people on the other side of their claims. (Sorry if I offended you...)

If you find this type of information interesting or helpful, please visit my law firm's main website at KraftLaw.com. You will find many more articles and links. Thank you for your time.

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