News tagged with 'Vioxx'

After the Vioxx scandal, Congress approved a new law that forces the FDA to reveal post-approval safety information on new drugs and vaccines. Information on the first 26 drugs were posted this week.

Transparency is defined as a lack of hidden agenda and conditions and the public has an opportunity to tell the FDA just how transparent it wants the agency to be in publishing data and disclosing information about drug and device makers. So far 1,500 have commented.

Dr. Julie Gerberding has left the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as director and is heading Merck's vaccine division, responsible for bolstering sales domestically and overseas.

The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for investor fraud lawsuits to continue against Merck over painkiller, Vioxx.   Merck had argued that the statute of limitations expired. The high court will have to determine when you actually start the clock on the two-year statute of limitations. 

Promotion for the painkiller, Vioxx, took the form of entire phony medical journals, court documents reveal in the Australian class-action lawsuit underway.

The Boston U.S. Attorney’s office has subpoenaed financial records belonging to Dr. Scott S. Reuben, an anesthesiologist at Baystate Medical Center in Mass. after it was revealed that he faked data in at least 21 anesthesiology studies favoring the drug companies he received money from. 

While U.S. litigation against Merck over the drug Vioxx is winding down, in Canada it's heating up. A Saskatchewan class action cannot be established says a three judge panel, but Ontario says this action means the more than one million Canadians, who allege harm from Vioxx, can join in one national class action. 

Some Michiganders say they feel left out since the Diana Levine decision by the Supreme Court threw out the federal preemption argument of drug companies. Michigan law does not permit remedies in court from dangerous drugs, but a hearing this week could begin to change that. 

The second major drug company merger in as many months, Merck will acquire Schering-Plough for $41 billion.  Fewer blockbuster drugs, and the promises of healthcare reform are pushing changes in the pharmaceutical industry.  

Joan Petty took Vioxx for five years, twice a day.  After three heart attacks and two strokes she has enough energy to charge Merck & Co and its executives with criminal charges over Vioxx and has her day before the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday.

Joan Petty is going after pharmaceutical giant, Merck with a vengeance. The 73-year-old Ft. Pierce, Florida woman says Merck is criminal for manufacturing the medication Vioxx, and she's filed a RICO lawsuit. The U.S. Supreme Court has Petty's latest brief on the docket for Friday the 16th. 

Prizer today announced it's agreed to a $900 million settlement to address the bulk of the Celebrex and Bextra lawsuits filed. Bextra is off the market because of its link to heart attack and stroke. Celebrex carries a black box warning.

When Vioxx was pulled from the market in 2004, due to concerns that it increased the risk of heart attack, stroke and death – many assumed that discontinuing use would end the associated health risks. But, now, a new study suggests that the risks increased nearly twofold, and persisted for a year or more after stopping use.

A lawsuit was filed against Pfizer alleging the company suppressed medical studies that did not support the company's campaign to boost sales of its epilepsy drug, Neurontin.

Eight states including Florida are suing drugmaker Merck & Co alleging deceptive marketing of the recalled painkiller Vioxx. The state wants to recover $80 million it reimbursed consumers under federal health plans. Olympians Dorothy Hamill and Bruce Jenner once fronted ads for Merck, though there is no indication they knew about the downside of the drug.