Judge Denies Plaintiffs' Motions to Remand and Amend Complaint

JACKSON, Miss. - A federal judge rejected motions to remand and for leave to file an amended complaint submitted by three women who claim they sustained injuries as a result of using the arthritis drugs Celebrex and Vioxx. Annie Porter, et al., v. Merck & Co., Inc., et al., No. 03-CV-12-LN (S.D. Miss., Eastern Div.).

U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee overruled the plaintiffs' argument that the case should be remanded because the drug companies' removal of the case was defective. Judge Lee also denied the plaintiffs' motion for leave to file an amended complaint that would replace previously …