Merck Opposes Plaintiffs' Motion for Protective Order Related to Employee Depos

NEW ORLEANS - Merck has filed an opposition to a motion plaintiffs filed in the MDL for a protective order preventing the cross-noticing of Merck employee depositions in the New Jersey coordinated litigation. In re: Vioxx Products Liability Litigation, MDL Docket No. 1657 (E.D. La.).

The opposition, filed Aug. 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, states that the plaintiffs' decision to seek the protective order directly contradicts discussions between the parties that occurred during a May status conference.

Merck also claims that the motion is at odds with the MDL court's discovery orders, specifically …