Merck to Face 40,000 Vioxx Suits, Officials Say - Los Angeles Times

Merck to Face 40,000 Vioxx Suits, Officials Say - Los Angeles Times: "Merck & Co. will face about 40,000 claims over its withdrawn Vioxx painkiller once deadlines for filing lawsuits lapse around the U.S., court records and lawyer estimates show. " [LATIMES.com]

More than 14,000 Vioxx cases strain Atlantic County court

More than 14,000 Vioxx cases strain Atlantic County court: "The court charged with handling about 14,000 Vioxx-related cases that have been filed in the last two years has asked for additional help to handle its workload.

The Atlantic County Civil Division is handling the thousands of cases filed against Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based Merck over the painkiller it pulled from the market in 2004, saying its own research showed the drug doubled risk of heart attack and stroke with long-term use." [KATC.com]

Judge Orders Merck to Reveal Trial Cost,

Judge Orders Merck to Reveal Trial Cost,: "A N.J. judge ordered Merck & Co. on Tuesday to release records on how much it spent on a trial involving its Vioxx painkiller.

The information would provide a window into how much Merck spends on its trials, and what its legal defense costs could be in the future. More than 21,000 suits have been filed against Merck, which has vowed to try each case over Vioxx." [Chron.com]

How The Journals Are Cracking Down

How The Journals Are Cracking Down: "With concerns about conflicts of interest on the rise, many medical journals are cracking down. Some are demanding more detailed disclosures from authors about how they're compensated by companies, and many are more skeptically scrutinizing papers that academic and company scientists produce together. " [BusinessWeek]