Vioxx lawsuit: $253 million

More on the COX-2 front. Once Vioxx was pulled from the market, the lawyers got busy. A plaintiff in Texas has won a $253-million (U.S.) judgment against Merck; her husband died of a heart attack while taking Vioxx in 2001. Her lawyer expects the final award to be reduced, and Merck is appealing. All told, Merck is facing $8 to $25 billion in potential liabilities from various lawsuits, which apparently number around 4,200.