Merck faces punitive phase of Vioxx trial: "The punitive phase of a trial involving the Merck & Co. painkiller Vioxx was set to start on Thursday after a jury found the drugmaker failed to warn Vioxx users of heart risks and ordered it to pay a 77-year-old plaintiff at least $4.5 million in damages.
Merck shares fell 4.3 percent to $34.45 in premarket trade on Thursday after the jury in Atlantic City, New Jersey, found that Vioxx had been a substantial contributing cause of a heart attack suffered by John McDarby. "
