Second Vioxx trial delay rejected by New Jersey judge News
Second Vioxx trial delay rejected by New Jersey judge

[JURIST] A New Jersey judge Monday rejected a motion by drugmaker Merck [corporate website] to postpone its scheduled second trial in connection with its Vioxx [JURIST report] painkiller, pulled off the market last year after it was found to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes [FDA public health advisory] in some users. Superior Court Judge Carol Higbee said that a $253 million verdict [JURIST report] handed down by a Texas jury earlier this month did not preclude a fair trial for Merck in Atlantic City New Jersey, and turned down a bid to have the trial date put off for 45 days. Merck is facing almost 5000 Vioxx lawsuits in the United States, and has set aside a defense fund of over $675 million. Bloomberg has more.