City, State Sue Merck Over Vioxx
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Attorney General Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg sued Merck & Co. Inc. today for Medicaid fraud, claiming it hid the risks of heart problems associated with its anti-inflammatory pain medication Vioxx.
The lawsuit seeks damages and civil penalties in addition to restitution for more than $100 million it says was wrongfully spent by the state on Vioxx prescriptions and refills since the drug was marketed in 1999.
Merck removed Vioxx from the market in September 2004 because of its excessive risk for heart attack and stroke.
