Federal Jury Clears Merck in Ky. Man's Vioxx Lawsuit

NEW ORLEANS - Jurors in the third federal Vioxx trial have absolved Merck & Co. Inc. of liability for a non-fatal heart attack suffered by a Kentucky man who began taking Vioxx after its label was updated to include a warning that the drug could increase cardiovascular risks. In Re: Vioxx Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1657 (E.D. La.).

The six-woman, two-man jury for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana deliberated for approximately three hours before reaching the verdict late in the day Sept. 26. Judge Eldon E. Fallon presided over the trial, which began Sept. …