Merck & Co wins latest Vioxx damages case

US drug major Merck & Co says it is pleased with a recent New Orleans federal court jury decision rejecting a claim that Vioxx (rofecoxib) caused the 2003 heart attack of a then 61-year-old Utah man.

In this case, Charles Laron Mason claimed he took the COX-2 inhibitor for 10 months before his heart attack and the case was specifically selected by the Plaintiff's Steering Committee for this trial. The jury determined that New Jersey-headquartered Merck acted appropriately in the development and marketing of the painkiller, noting that the drug did not substantially contribute to Mr Mason's heart attack.

Phil Beck, of the US law firm of Bartlit Beck, the lead trial lawyer in the case, said: "Mr Mason's claims about his Vioxx use simply didn't hold up to scrutiny. On the witness stand, Mr Mason reversed his previous testimony and admitted - for the first time - that he was not even taking Vioxx in the days before his heart attack. He also had multiple risk factors for a heart attack including significant coronary artery disease, a family history of cardiac problems and he was considered medically obese.