Parties Differ in Proposals for Repatriating Calif. Vioxx Cases

LOS ANGELES - Plaintiffs in California's coordinated Vioxx proceedings have proposed a multi-plaintiff, multi-court system to expedite the resolution of the state's myocardial infarction cases, saying that remanding the cases to their counties of origin could resolve the litigation by 2012. Vioxx® Cases, JCCP No. 4247 (Calif. Super. Ct., Los Angeles Cty.).

Merck & Co. Inc., by contrast, has recommended a more conservative approach to repatriation, claiming that "sending back too many cases to too many different judges will only bog down the dockets of courts around the state and invite inconsistent rulings."

Merck and the Plaintiffs Executive Committee (PEC) …