The first Vioxx trial of 2006 is about to get underway in Texas:
RIO GRANDE CITY — The nation’s fourth lawsuit against Mercks' Vioxx painkiller, linked to heart problems, is set for jury selection Jan. 24 in a Starr County courtroom.
The family of Leonel Garza sued the New Jersey pharmaceutical company, two McAllen doctors and a Harlingen clinic in March 2003 after the 71-year-old Rio Grande City man died of a heart attack one month after taking Vioxx.
The 12-member jury that Merck’s and Garza’s lawyers will select from Starr County residents is expected to render a tie-breaking verdict against the nation’s fifth-largest pharmaceutical company, which faces more than 9,000 lawsuits over the painkiller recalled in 2004 after studies showed it increased the risk of heart disease and stroke.
So far, Merck has lost one case, won another and had a third end in a mistrial.
"Merck has done everything in its power to deny the Garza family their day in court. This included two remands to federal court and the hiring of multiple state representatives for the sole purpose of stalling this trial," said Joe Escobedo Jr., a lead attorney representing the Garza family.
"We look forward to representing the Garza family and exposing Merck’s greed and corruption in relation to Vioxx."
The slow bleed away of respect for Merck now continues into this new year.
Source: The Monitor
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