Merck, Insurers Oppose Vioxx MDL Plaintiffs' Discovery Requests

NEW ORLEANS - Merck & Co. Inc. and several of its insurers have moved for a protective order preventing plaintiffs in the federal Vioxx MDL from conducting or requesting insurance-related depositions or documents, saying that the discovery is irrelevant, duplicative and confidential. In Re: Vioxx Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1657 (E.D. La.).

The Jan. 16 joint motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana is in response to the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee's service on nine of Merck's insurers, all of which are non-parties in the Vioxx litigation, with discovery demands related to 'matters of …