Jury Begins Deliberations on First Vioxx Case

Today, Jurors began dilberations into the nation's first Vioxx-related civil trial.  In what could be a multi-billion dollar albatross around the neck of Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK), Merck attorneys stressed that the century-old company would never knowingly make deadly drugs.  However, Mark Lanier, the attorney for a widow of a Texas man who died in 2001, argued that Merck was practicing denial and deception to make billions of dollars in annual profits.  Lanier focused on the ethical considerations and stated that Merck should have told consumers "the good, the bad and the ugly" with regards to the known side effects of Vioxx.

This case is the first of 4,200 lawsuits and analysts have speculated that Merck's liability could reach $18 billion.  Lanier suggested to jurors that his client deserves $229 million or more.  This could be the beginning of the end for Merck if the jury finds for the plaintiff.