Merck Files Motion to Consolidate Texas State Court Vioxx Litigation

AUSTIN, Texas - Merck has filed a motion to transfer approximately 50 state court Vioxx cases filed in Texas to a single judge for coordinated pretrial proceedings. In Re: VIOXX® Litigation, No. 05-0436 (Texas Sup. Ct.).

According to a Rule 13 motion filed June 6 in Texas Supreme Court, nearly all parties have informally endorsed Merck's move to transfer the cases, and that the preferred venue for the MDL is the Harris County District Court.

'All of these cases share common issues of fact relating to Merck's development, state of knowledge, and pre- and post-approval testing of VIOXX® and to …