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MERCK WINS IN COURT: VIOXX WARNING WAS SUFFICIENT!
ap

Posted on 11/03/2005 7:38:42 AM PST by SoFloFreeper

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- In a major victory for Merck & Co., a jury has found the drugmaker properly warned consumers about Vioxx risks. The finding means Merck will not be held liable for the 2001 heart attack suffered by a man taking the painkiller.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ambulancechasers; biglaw; biglawers; biglegal; bigshysters; deeppockets; drugs; greedyshysters; grubbinglawyers; lawsuitmachine; merck; pharmaceuticals; ruling; vioxx
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To: Almondjoy

Worth repeating, Almondjoy:

"The jury found that the label was sufficent in warning consumers. Meaning that the drug may cause heart attacks but the label is enough warning to permit people to take their own informed risks."

Ya!


121 posted on 11/03/2005 2:48:26 PM PST by HonestConservative (Bless our Servicemen!)
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To: RC77
I can't name names but one of the cases I personally have worked on is an 19 year old who had a heart attack after being on vioxx for 6 months.He was on vioxx due to back fusion surgery that made him 100% disabled.He is a non smoker with NO history of heart problems in his family.Mock many lawsuits but their are many like this one that simply can't be explained away.Legitimate cases should not be ignored.

Given the number of people in the world, it is highly likely that ANY medication will cause harm to a group of them. That doesn't mean that anyone is at fault. Sometimes stuff happens. If a medication is so toxic that it is harming large percentages of those who take it, then it is a bad drug.

122 posted on 11/03/2005 2:52:19 PM PST by Dianna
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To: SoFloFreeper

Common sense wins one???


123 posted on 11/03/2005 2:55:10 PM PST by GBA
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To: Almondjoy
The jury found that the label was sufficent in warning consumers. Meaning that the drug may cause heart attacks but the label is enough warning to permit people to take their own informed risks.

I know. I stand by my statement. Decades of being a pig is probably the overwhelming reason for his heart attack. Not taking this drug for a few years.

124 posted on 11/03/2005 3:00:41 PM PST by VeniVidiVici (What, me worry?)
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To: SoFloFreeper

Excellent work by the jury.


125 posted on 11/03/2005 3:31:30 PM PST by newzjunkey (CA: YES on Prop 73-77! Unions outspending Arnold 4:1, HELP: http://www.joinarnold.com)
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To: .cnI redruM

Corpse? He didn't die from the heart attack.


126 posted on 11/03/2005 3:32:52 PM PST by newzjunkey (CA: YES on Prop 73-77! Unions outspending Arnold 4:1, HELP: http://www.joinarnold.com)
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To: RC77
I work with one of the 10 firms on the steering commitee on the Vioxx and this is not a drug that is worth your support

Oh, BS! You may be working in a money-grabbing, ambulance chasing, John Edwards-clone legal firm...but that gives you ZERO credibility on this.

Look, pal, I worked in the development and launch of this product. The persons who actually created this medication are my friends and former coworkers. All medications have side effects.

Allegations by the Edwards-like legal forces hold no water. There was no cover-up, there was no intent and there is really little difference between any of the cox-2 drugs.

And, yes, I'm biased...because (despite no longer working there) I do still bleed Merck teal.

127 posted on 11/03/2005 3:38:05 PM PST by AlaninSA (It's ONE NATION UNDER GOD...brought to you by the Knights of Columbus)
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To: Chode
since about 7000 people die every year from taking aspirin, we should take that off the market too... right???

Outstanding point.

There's more, though. During our clinicals, all conditions that arise during the trial become potential risks for the drug once the filing is approved. Yes, it's possible that the heartburn someone experienced during an acne product clinical would actually show up on the PPI as a risk factor for the product.

128 posted on 11/03/2005 3:43:19 PM PST by AlaninSA (It's ONE NATION UNDER GOD...brought to you by the Knights of Columbus)
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To: discostu
I've been watching every drug that ever did anything for her get taken off the market.

Is it possible for you to get a prescription and then purchase the drug from some other country (like Canada or Mexico)? Or have these drugs been taken off the market everywhere?

129 posted on 11/03/2005 3:48:51 PM PST by DumpsterDiver
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To: DumpsterDiver

Some of them have been taken from the market in Canada for sure not entirely positive about Mexico. Drug companies are pulling out of Canada too because of price controls, also they're probably afraid Americans will still get ahold of the drugs and sue them anyway.


130 posted on 11/03/2005 4:21:10 PM PST by discostu (When someone tries to kill you, you try to kill them right back)
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To: AlaninSA

toooo many people make "perfect" the enemy of the "good"...


131 posted on 11/03/2005 4:32:38 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist ©®)
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To: SoFloFreeper

Does this overturn the previous case they lost? or is this a different one?

I saw the labels on VIOXX - the first jury was a bunch of idiots

The FDC should be dismantled- It is impossible for any company to test for EVERYTHING and then submit for the incompetant FDC to test it all over again...

THe law should be that the company create a product, test it as thoroughly as possible, document EVERYTHING and then let it go to market with appropriate information made public (warnings, known side effects, etc..)

The FDC could make sure all the paperwork was filed.. and THATS IT

There are SO MANY wonderful drugs that never make it to market because the FDC wont guarantee that it is perfectly safe under in perpetuity


132 posted on 11/03/2005 4:49:14 PM PST by Mr. K (Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help...)
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To: discostu

So they can kill more people?


133 posted on 11/03/2005 7:20:46 PM PST by GGpaX4DumpedTea
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To: VeniVidiVici

Many people have heart attacks without being pigs.


134 posted on 11/03/2005 8:52:50 PM PST by Almondjoy
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To: SoFloFreeper

But do we ever get that wonderful drug back again? I certainly hope so. It's great, and it is far safer for one's health than are trial lawyers.


135 posted on 11/03/2005 9:15:30 PM PST by Agrarian
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To: RC77

How do you weigh quality of life (100% disabled by the pain you said?) - vs heart attack? I know I would take my choice to be pain free for as long as it lasted, and be grateful for it.


136 posted on 11/04/2005 5:55:49 AM PST by Mr. K (Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help...)
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To: SoFloFreeper

Now they'll just have to go shop around to other states to establish precedent. You know how it works: The most liberal ruling stands. Ask the cigarette companies how important this win is. :^(


137 posted on 11/04/2005 9:38:01 AM PST by dangus
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To: discostu

I feel vindicated now. This should shut my family up once and for all. I took Vioxx for a year, for spinal arthritis. Financial sitution being low, we couldn't afford it anymore. About 8-9 months later I developed a heart problem. When the first suit against them came out my family started riding me to join in the class action group in our area. I refused. They couldn't understand why. I told them my lifestyle and family history gave me the heart problem, not the medicine. They thought I was an idiot giving up FREE money. Free money, what idiot cousins I have.


138 posted on 11/04/2005 5:15:06 PM PST by processing please hold (Islam and Christianity do not mix ----9-11 taught us that)
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To: RC77

The Cox-2 inhibitor class is a powerful class of medications, and any powerful pill is going to have adverse events. That said, the cardiovascular and thrombotic AEs for Vioxx were clearly noted in the Vioxx prescribing information with statistics demonstrating an elevated risk for both relative to Naproxen. Taking those 2 facts together, anyone who gives the "who knew" argument is full of weapons-grade bologna.

What happened to the patient in the case you cite is unfortunate, but the number of truly unexpected severe AEs is substantially outweighed by the benefit many more patients received form the medication. Honestly, I would guess that one would have a higher probability of being killed in a car crash than suffering the type of AE you described with Vioxx as the undisputed causative agent. I would hazard that the larger problem is that patients assume that "it'll never happen to me" or are frustrated that they cannot use the channel flicker to tune out their physician when he/she is trying to explain the risks of a medication.

As an aside, I also think that Merck is being penalized for doing the right thing, ie, pulling the drug. It is worth noting that Pfizer declined to pull Celebrex, which has a near-identical mechanism of action and carries similar risks. I guess they weren't as easy a target for the parasites, I mean trial lawyers.


139 posted on 11/04/2005 7:22:22 PM PST by DPB
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To: DPB

Incidentally - the 2002 label revision clearly including the AE risks I noted is available at http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2002/21042s7lbl.pdf.


140 posted on 11/04/2005 7:25:42 PM PST by DPB
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