Toronto, ON: Merck has settled a Canadian Vioxx class action lawsuit by agreeing to pay up to $37 million to people who took the drug and subsequently developed heart problems. Depending on the number of claims, the settlement could be as much as $37 million, with $10 million in costs and fees. Plaintiffs' lawyer said up to 2,000 Canadians may be eligible for compensation.
Vioxx (Rofecoxib) was on the market from 1999 to 2004, prescribed to patients as a pain-reliever for arthritis, osteoarthritis, menstrual pain, and other acute pain. Vioxx was recalled and pulled off the market when it was linked to deadly side effects heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, and arrythmia. This led to billions of dollars' worth of litigation, including a $4.85 billion settlement that covers most of the U.S. plaintiffs.
