Let’s hope todays ruling on Vioxx is the “shot heard round the world” for all Big Pharma companies. NO MORE will consumers tolerate the lies, distortions, and big advertising, followed by the “whoops, our dope kills people, aw shucks…who knew???” line of reasoning the drug companies have spewed for decades. Let them all come a tumblin’ down…
Jenny Hatch
Quote from article:
“ANGLETON, Texas (AP) – A Texas jury found pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. (MRK) liable for the death of a man who took the once-popular painkiller Vioxx.
Jurors awarded Robert Ernst’s widow, Carol, $253.4 million in damages, which is a combination of his lost pay as a Wal-Mart produce manager, mental anguish, loss of companionship and punitive damages.
The case drew national attention from pharmaceutical companies, lawyers, consumers, stock analysts and arbitragers as a signal of what lies ahead for Merck, which has vowed to fight the more than 4,200 state and federal Vioxx-related lawsuits pending across the country. Merck said it plans to appeal.
A seven-man, five-woman jury from a semi-rural county south of Houston deliberated for 10 1/2 hours over two days before blaming the drug for killing Ernst in his sleep in 2001.”