New York joins state lawsuits over Vioxx

NEW YORK New York has become the seventh state to file a lawsuit against Merck over its controversial painkiller Vioxx, according to a Financial Times article on MSNBC.com.

The state is alleging that the company misrepresented dangers associated with the drug and are therefore looking to recover public funds spent on prescriptions. The lawsuit is the first to be filed under the new state law, which allows damages to be rewarded of up to three times the sum spent by a state, which according to New York is more than $100 million.

“Even as evidence was piling up showing just how dangerous this drug was, Merck put profits above all else and put thousands at risk by continuing to push Vioxx inappropriately on doctors and patients,” said Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

Recently, the New Jersey Supreme Court denied a lawsuit brought about by insurance and healthcare companies against Merck concerning Vioxx.