Merck to Settle in Vioxx Case

Vioxx was a pain medication which was approved for sale in 1999. To many sufferers of Rheumatic diseases this was seen as a wonder drug it was so popular it pulled in an estimated 2.5 billion dollars for Merck.

In 2004 when tests showed that people on Vioxx were at increased risk of developing heart conditions and stroke, the company pulled the drug from the market. The decision to pull the drug from the market was triggered by multiple lawsuits against the company. Eleven cases were taken to trial and Merck loss five, now the wall street journal is reporting that the company is set to announce a settlement of 4.85 billion dollars