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Merck Found Liable for Death in First Vioxx Case A Texas jury finds drug maker Merck liable for the death of a man who took the company's painkiller Vioxx. Merck pulled the drug from the market last fall after a study linked it to heart attacks. The jury awarded his widow $253.4 million in damages in the first of thousands of pending lawsuits.
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Merck Found Liable for Death in First Vioxx Case

A jury awards $253.4 million in damages in the nation's first Vioxx trial.

Sunday

Vioxx Legal Saga Just Beginning

Pharmaceutical company Merck will appeal Friday's $253-million jury award in the death of a man who had taken the painkiller Vioxx. But thousands of cases await the company in state and federal court.

Vioxx Legal Saga Just Beginning

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Saturday

Jurors Discuss Decision in Vioxx Case

The drugmaker Merck says it will appeal a Texas jury's verdict in a case involving the painkiller Vioxx. Jurors in Angleton, Texas, say the company's own documents prompted their $250 million damage award.

Jurors Discuss Decision in Vioxx Case

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Friday

Widow Awarded $250 Million in Vioxx Death Suit

A Texas jury finds pharmaceutical giant Merck liable for the death of a man who took the painkiller Vioxx. The suit, one of thousands against the drug maker, was filed by the widow of a man who died of an irregular heart rhythm after taking Vioxx for less than a year.

Widow Awarded $250 Million in Vioxx Death Suit

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Thursday

Jury Hears Final Arguments in Vioxx Case

In Angleton, Texas, jurors begin deliberations in the first Vioxx-related case to come to trial. Merck pulled Voxx from the market last year after a study showed the painkiller caused heart attacks. Merck maintains Vioxx was the most-intensively studied painkiller ever designed. The case is being closely watched, because Merck faces more than 4,000 similar Vioxx lawsuits.

Jury Hears Final Arguments in Vioxx Case

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Thursday

Vioxx Death Trial Begins in Texas

The first case involving an alleged Vioxx-related death started in a Texas courtroom this week. Jurors heard the opening arguments from lawyers representing drug maker Merck and the family of 59-year-old personal trainer and marathon runner Robert Ernst.

Vioxx Death Trial Begins in Texas

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Friday

Merck Attempted to Quash Vioxx Criticism

Drug maker Merck attempted to censor critics of Vioxx as early as 2000, an investigation by NPR finds. That year, a study indicated that the painkiller might cause heart problems. The story raises larger issues about the role of pharmaceutical firms' funding of medical schools and independent doctors.

Merck Attempted to Quash Vioxx Criticism

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Thursday

Part 2: Did Merck Try to Censor Vioxx Critics?

NPR's story about Merck and its efforts to suppress safety concerns about the painkiller Vioxx continues with a look at how Merck exerted its influence in the world of top medical institutions. NPR's Snighda Prakash reports.

Part 2: Did Merck Try to Censor Vioxx Critics?

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Part 1: Documents Suggest Merck Tried to Censor Vioxx Critics

Merck documents show that in 2000, the maker of Vioxx tried to censor critics of the drug's safety. That was the year that drug giant Merck learned that Vioxx might cause heart attacks and other problems. The documents show a concerted effort by the company to identify doctors who were raising questions about the drug's safety and to put pressure on them to stop making critical comments. A spokesman for Merck denies the allegations.

Part 1: Documents Suggest Merck Tried to Censor Vioxx Critics

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Thursday

Safety Concerns Hang over Popular Painkillers

Key Painkiller Trials Optional

Americans have recently learned that four popular painkillers -- Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra and naproxen -- have been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. In 2001, scientists called for heart safety tests for these painkillers, but the FDA lacked the authority to require such trials. Hear NPR's Snigdha Prakash.

Key Painkiller Trials Optional

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Thursday

Vioxx Drug Pulled from Shelves

Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. is pulling its arthritis drug Vioxx from the market after a government study confirmed long-standing concerns that it raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. NPR's Richard Knox reports.

Vioxx Drug Pulled from Shelves

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