FDA OK'd Labels don't Nix Claims

FDA approval of a drug label doesn't clear the manufacturer of claims that its warnings were inadequate, a judge ruled in a decision potentially affecting thousands of federal lawsuits against Merck & Co. for the painkiller Vioxx.

Judge Denies Merck Motion to Discard Vioxx Cases

A judge overseeing federal Vioxx litigation rejected Merck & Co.'s bid to throw out two lawsuits against the drugmaker over its withdrawn painkiller.

Vioxx Short-Term Risk not seen in other Data

A lawyer who represents Merck & Co. in its litigation over Vioxx said that an unpublished study that reportedly shows heart risks with the withdrawn painkiller in short-term use is not supported by other data.

Vioxx Heart Attack Risk Begins Earlier than Merck Claimed

A new study, approved for publication in the New England Journal of Medicine found that heart risks from the drug Vioxx began much sooner than Merck & Co. stated.

Judge Rules against Wyeth over Prempro

A state judge handling hundreds of lawsuits over Wyeth's hormone replacement drug Prempro has ruled that a federal law does not bar state product liability lawsuits against drug makers.

Wyeth Preemption Bid Denied by NJ Judge

A New Jersey state judge who oversees more than 200 Prempro cases has tossed aside the drugmaker's argument that an FDA rule pre-empts the right to file a product liability lawsuit.

Vioxx Plaintiff takes $1.6M Rather than Retry on Damages

A South Carolina man whose $51 million Vioxx damage award was overturned as excessive will accept the $1.6 million suggested by the trial judge rather than go to a second jury.

Judge orders Merck to pay $4M in Fees

Lawyers who helped a heart attack victim win a $13.5 million jury verdict in a Vioxx liability case should be paid about $4 million in legal fees by Merck & Co., a state judge has ruled.

U.S. FDA objects to parts of House Drug Safety Plan

Drug safety measures pending in the House may burden regulators without protecting patients from dangerous medicines, a senior Food and Drug Administration official told lawmakers Tuesday.

Consumers Union Advertising effort puts Human Face on Victims

Consumers Union (CU), the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, is launching a coordinated advertising and activism effort as a cap to its two-year battle to strengthen drug safety laws.