Good News for Merck on Vioxx Payments

The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled today that Merck is not responsible for covering medical monitoring costs for individuals who take Vioxx but who have not claimed injuries from the drug. This piece of news is one of few bright spots for Merck when it comes to Vioxx, which was pulled from the market about four years ago after a study showed it doubled the risk for cardiac adverse events including myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke. The good news brought Merck’s stock up by 39 cents. Merck has had a rough year, but this ruling might be a sign that some of their Vioxx troubles might be coming to an end.