HMO Sues Merck over Past and Future Payment for Vioxx-Related Injuries

NEW ORLEANS - An HMO has sued Merck for allegedly misrepresenting the safety of Vioxx, and is seeking reimbursement for money it and its plan members paid for the drug, as well as any money it may have or will pay as a result of Vioxx-related injuries suffered by its insureds. Health Plus of Louisiana, Inc. v. Merck & Co. Inc., No. 05-1644 (E.D. La.).

Health Plus of Louisiana filed the lawsuit May 2 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, claiming Merck misled the HMO and its members into believing Vioxx was safe, when data …