A Madison County jury was seated Wednesday to begin hearing a widower's claims that Merck & Co.'s former blockbuster painkiller Vioxx contributed to his 52-year-old wife's fatal heart attack more than three years ago.
Attorneys for both sides were to spell out their case for jurors later Wednesday in the Midwest's first trial over the arthritis medication. Merck pulled Vioxx off the market in 2004 after research showed it increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Madison County in southwest Illinois has become known as a place where lawyers come seeking big payouts, from cases involving everything from asbestos exposure to medical malpractice.
Plaintiffs in certain cases have been awarded as much as tens of millions of dollars.
Patricia Schwaller had been taking Vioxx for more than 20 months before the Granite City woman died suddenly Aug. 8, 2003, her family's attorneys say. The woman had no previous heart attacks, strokes or symptoms of congestive heart disease, the attorneys say.
Her husband, Frank Schwaller, accuses Merck of failing to adequately warn consumers of Vioxx's potential risks before withdrawing the drug.
BusinessWeek
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