Merck Changes Mind

Merck vowed to fight til the death. They vowed to litigate each Vioxx case to conclusion. Apparently, that vow only applied until the statute of limitations ran on most of the cases.

$4.85 Billion Vioxx Settlement Validates Merck's Courthouse Strategy

It's a sign of the times that a company can express relief after agreeing to settle a massive set of lawsuits for $4.85 billion.

Merck Agrees to $4.85B Settlement Over Pain Drug Vioxx

Even when it was winning most Vioxx lawsuits in the courtroom, the maker of the withdrawn painkiller was losing in other areas, giving Merck & Co. considerable impetus for Friday's $4.85 billion nationwide settlement.

Plaintiff Lawyers in State Welcome $5B Vioxx Deal

The Vioxx litigation against Merck began in 2001, but exploded after the company took the prescription painkiller off the market in 2004. Since then, Merck has been hit with about 26,600 suits, according to company documents.

Merck Agrees to Pay $4.85B in Vioxx Settlement

Pharmaceutical giant Merck (MRK) will pay $4.85 billion to settle most of the nearly 27,000 pending Vioxx lawsuits nationwide in one of the largest civil agreements ever, the company announced Friday.

Merck's $4.85 Billion Vioxx Accord Outlines Paydays

Merck & Co.'s agreement to pay $4.85 billion to resolve lawsuits over its Vioxx painkiller offers certainty of a payday to thousands of plaintiffs who no longer must prove the drug caused their heart attacks or strokes.

Consumer Safety Law Firms Across U.S. Comment

Pro or Con? Plaintiff attorneys across the U.S. comment on the Merck Vioxx Settlement offer and the outcome for patients.

Merck's Tactics Largely Vindicated as it Reaches Big Vioxx Settlement

Merck & Co.'s $4.85 billion settlement over its withdrawn painkiller Vioxx largely vindicates its unusually aggressive strategy for fighting off tens of thousands of liability claims.

Merck Moves on from Vioxx

Even when it was winning most Vioxx lawsuits in the courtroom, the maker of the withdrawn painkiller was losing in other areas, giving Merck & Co. considerable impetus for yesterday's $4.85 billion nationwide settlement.

Merck Cuts Losses in Vioxx Settlement

"Without this settlement, the litigation might very well stretch on for years," said Executive Vice President Kenneth Frazier, the former general counsel who had developed Merck's fight-every-case strategy.