Merk to pay $4.85 Billion over Vioxx suits

rwking · #1 (**permalink**) 11-09-2007, 04:37 AM

Quote:

TRENTON, N.J. - Merck & Co. said Friday it will pay $4.85 billion to end thousands of lawsuits over its painkiller Vioxx in what is believed to be the largest drug settlement ever.

The deal becomes binding only if 85 percent of all plaintiffs in about 26,600 lawsuits agree to drop their cases. It was finalized in the early morning hours after attorneys for Merck and the plaintiffs met with three of the four judges overseeing nearly all Vioxx claims.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21701212/

I do think that if the FDA forced drug manufacturers to continue drug trials for longer periods of time so the long-term effects could be observed, it would avoid a lot of this crap. This kind of law suit is exactly why prescription medication is so expensive.

BoogiePeople · #2 (**permalink**) 11-09-2007, 09:40 PM

It's so cute when the sheep just assume that these drug companies are just sitting on billions of dollars, like Scrooge McDuck.

Thanks to these greedy plaintiffs, it will be the taxpayers and the health insurance customers who will be paying this off.

rwking · #3 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 10:49 AM

Uh, well, they sorta are. haha I mean come on, they aren't hurting for money, and I have a feeling that $4.85 billion won't hurt them too much. I mean, they'll make it back. But yeah, people are making money on it. Some of them probably deserve some compensation, especially if it involved the death of a patient.