Judge Dismisses Remaining Foreign Class Actions from Federal Vioxx MDL

NEW ORLEANS - A Louisiana judge, pursuant to parties' joint stipulation, has dismissed without prejudice all remaining foreign class action complaints in the federal Vioxx MDL, provided that Merck & Co. Inc. submits to service of process and jurisdiction in the foreign forums. In Re: Vioxx Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1657 (E.D. La.).

Merck also agreed to not prevent a named foreign plaintiff or putative class member from returning to the MDL court if a foreign forum declines to accept jurisdiction, according to the judge's order.

Counsel for Merck and the foreign plaintiffs filed the stipulation on Nov. 16 …