The Great Game

Merck made a bad decision... and it is only starting to crush the black bile of Satan out of them.

A retired FBI agent who suffered a heart attack after taking the painkiller Vioxx is entitled to $50 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages from Merck, a federal jury found Thursday.

The jury of eight men said Merck was negligent for failing to adequately warn doctors about the risks associated with the drug. The jury also found that Merck “knowingly misrepresented or failed to disclose” information about the drug to the plaintiff’s doctors.

“We disagree with the jury’s verdict. The plaintiff was at increased risk for a heart attack regardless of whether he was taking Vioxx,” said Phil Beck, Merck’s lead trial lawyer in the case, in a statement.

With this latest decision, Merck’s three-trial winning streak has come to an end. The score after nine trials: Merck, 5; Plaintiffs, 4. There are more than 14,000 to go. <Link>