<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Vioxx: News &amp; Videos about Vioxx - CNN.com</title><link>http://topics.cnn.com/topics/feeds/rss/Vioxx</link><description>Find stories, videos, and photos about Vioxx from CNN.com.</description><language>en-us</language><copyright>Cable News Network LP, LLLP.</copyright><pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:05:38 GMT</pubDate><ttl>5</ttl><image><title>Vioxx: News &amp; Videos about Vioxx - CNN.com</title><url>http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/1.0/logo/cnn.logo.rss.gif</url><link>http://topics.cnn.com/topics/feeds/rss/Vioxx</link><width>144</width><height>33</height><description>Find stories, videos, and photos about Vioxx from CNN.com.</description></image><item><title>Merck to Fund Vioxx Settlement in August</title><link>http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1823902,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topics</link><guid>http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1823902,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topics</guid><description>Drugmaker Merck &amp;amp;amp; Co. will start cutting checks for former users of its withdrawn painkiller Vioxx next month</description><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>The plan to prevent the next Vioxx</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/28/news/companies/fda/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/28/news/companies/fda/index.htm</guid><description>A former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday praised a recently enacted plan to overhaul the monitoring of drug safety in the United States.</description><pubDate>Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:54:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Update: Merck recovers from Vioxx</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/11/12/100954547/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/11/12/100954547/index.htm</guid><description>What we said In "Merck Is on the Mend" (Feb. 5), we recommended a second look at the pharma giant, which was recovering from the low it reached in 2004 amid the Vioxx debacle. We mentioned that Merck was winning approvals for a host of new drugs, including cervical-cancer vaccine Gardasil. We cited Bear Stearns analyst John Boris's year-end price target of $53.</description><pubDate>Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:42:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Vioxx settlement puts Merck back on track</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/09/magazines/fortune/simons_vioxx.fortune/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/09/magazines/fortune/simons_vioxx.fortune/index.htm</guid><description>During its heyday in the 1970s, Merck earned a reputation among scientists as "the Harvard of the pharmaceutical industry." It may no longer be, but at least today, the company's legal department is looking like Harvard Law.</description><pubDate>Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:20:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck settles Vioxx suits for $4.85B</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/09/news/companies/merck_vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/09/news/companies/merck_vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>Merck &amp;amp; Co. announced Friday that it will pay $4.85 billion to settle as claims by as many as 47,000 groups of plaintiffs over injuries linked to its blockbuster Vioxx painkiller.</description><pubDate>Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:29:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Court sides with Merck on Vioxx class action</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/06/news/companies/bc.apfn.vioxxclassaction.ap/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/06/news/companies/bc.apfn.vioxxclassaction.ap/index.htm</guid><description>In a major legal victory for Merck &amp;amp; Co. in its massive Vioxx litigation, New Jersey's Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a potential class-action lawsuit that could have cost the drugmaker up to $18 billion.</description><pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 2007 09:29:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck's post-Vioxx comeback</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/30/markets/spotlight_mrk/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/30/markets/spotlight_mrk/index.htm</guid><description>Merck has enjoyed a strong comeback since the messy Vioxx blowout nearly three years ago. But you might be surprised by how well Merck has done since it pulled its arthritis drug from the market.</description><pubDate>Thu, 30 Aug 2007 05:52:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Vioxx study says risks begin earlier</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/25/news/companies/merck_vioxx.reut/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/25/news/companies/merck_vioxx.reut/index.htm</guid><description>The increased heart risk from using Vioxx, Merck &amp;amp; Co.'s withdrawn arthritis medicine, begins much earlier than 18 months, according to a study that contradicts assertions made by the drugmaker and its scientists.</description><pubDate>Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:36:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck Vioxx heart risks began sooner</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/03/news/companies/bc.merck.vioxx.reut/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/03/news/companies/bc.merck.vioxx.reut/index.htm</guid><description>Heart risks associated with Merck's painkiller Vioxx began much sooner than the company has claimed, The Wall Street Journal Online reported Tuesday, citing a new study.</description><pubDate>Tue, 03 Jul 2007 02:09:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Judgment day for new Merck painkiller</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/10/news/companies/arcoxia/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/10/news/companies/arcoxia/index.htm</guid><description>The moment of truth has come for Arcoxia, Merck's arthritis painkiller intended to replace the withdrawn drug Vioxx.</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:35:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Flu could cost employers $10 billion</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/27/news/companies/flu_season/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/27/news/companies/flu_season/index.htm</guid><description>Employers should look out for common strains of influenza, which can quickly spread through an organization and severely damage the bottom line - to the tune of nearly $10 billion in paid sick leave nationwide, according a study released Monday by a global outplacement consultant.</description><pubDate>Mon, 27 Nov 2006 16:18:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>No class-action status for federal Vioxx suits</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/22/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/22/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>A federal judge on Wednesday denied a motion for class-action status for personal injury and wrongful death cases involving Merck's withdrawn Vioxx painkiller.</description><pubDate>Wed, 22 Nov 2006 19:13:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck: New pain drug safer than Vioxx</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/13/news/companies/arcoxia_merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/13/news/companies/arcoxia_merck/index.htm</guid><description>Merck &amp;amp; Co. said Monday that its arthritis painkiller Arcoxia does not increase the risk of heart attacks, in a study underscoring the difference between this drug and its withdrawn-from-the-market blockbuster Vioxx.</description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Nov 2006 13:39:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck sets sights on new arthritis blockbuster</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/10/news/companies/arcoxia/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/10/news/companies/arcoxia/index.htm</guid><description>Merck is experimenting with a new arthritis painkiller that could replace Vioxx, the former billion-dollar blockbuster that has proven to be a liability for the company.</description><pubDate>Fri, 10 Nov 2006 14:21:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Novartis pain drug battles Vioxx stigma</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/07/news/companies/prexige/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/07/news/companies/prexige/index.htm</guid><description>Novartis plans to bring a new arthritis painkiller to the U.S. market, but analysts say its similarity to the disgraced drug Vioxx could kill its chances of becoming a billion-dollar blockbuster.</description><pubDate>Tue, 07 Nov 2006 17:37:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Vioxx plaintiff drops suit against Merck</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/24/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/24/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>The plaintiff in the next scheduled Vioxx case has dropped her suit against Merck, the drug company said.</description><pubDate>Tue, 24 Oct 2006 12:42:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Nearly final Vioxx suit tally: 23,800 cases for 41,750 plaintiffs</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/20/magazines/fortune/Vioxx_legalpad_parloff.fortune/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/20/magazines/fortune/Vioxx_legalpad_parloff.fortune/index.htm</guid><description>This morning Merck announced the number of Vioxx-related lawsuits that had been filed against it as of September 30, 2006. That date is crucial, because it represents the second-year anniversary of the company's withdrawal of Vioxx from the market, and the vast majority of states have either one- or two-year statutes of limitations for personal injury suits. According to Vioxx plaintiffs lawyer Mark Lanier, only seven states remain with statutes of limitations that have not yet expired. So we're getting close to the grand totals.</description><pubDate>Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:30:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Drug stocks climbing, climbing, climbing</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/09/22/news/companies/drugstox/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/09/22/news/companies/drugstox/index.htm</guid><description>To quote Frank Sinatra, Big Pharma stocks are having "a very good year."</description><pubDate>Fri, 22 Sep 2006 14:35:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Judge overturns $50 million Vioxx award</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/30/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/30/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>A federal judge threw out the $50 million in damages awarded a Vioxx plaintiff in a recent lawsuit against the drugmaker Merck.</description><pubDate>Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:23:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck's bad day in court</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/17/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/17/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>Merck was found negligent in the latest Vioxx case, as a jury in New Orleans federal court found that the drugmaker misrepresented the risks of the arthritis painkiller and awarded the plaintiff more than $50 million in damages.</description><pubDate>Thu, 17 Aug 2006 14:03:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Stocks keep it positive</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/17/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/17/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm</guid><description>Falling oil prices and Hewlett-Packard's upbeat earnings gave tech stocks a lift Thursday, but the broader market advance was mild after a sharp rally over the last two sessions.</description><pubDate>Thu, 17 Aug 2006 13:25:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck vows to keep fighting the Vioxx war</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/03/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/03/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>Merck holds the lead in the ongoing legal war against Vioxx plaintiffs, with five wins and three losses, and experts say it's cheaper for the company to keep paying defense lawyers than to buy off plaintiffs in a mass settlement.</description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Aug 2006 16:26:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck wins latest Vioxx case</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/13/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/13/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>Merck was found not liable in the seventh lawsuit over Vioxx, the arthritis painkiller that it pulled from the market because of heart attack risk, the company announced Thursday.</description><pubDate>Thu, 13 Jul 2006 18:10:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck and the Vioxx rut</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/03/news/companies/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/03/news/companies/merck/index.htm</guid><description>Merck's stock price is starting to climb out of its hole this year, but the drug giant still faces a long uphill climb fraught with obstacles if it ever plans to get to its pre-Vioxx scandal levels.</description><pubDate>Mon, 03 Jul 2006 16:37:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Vioxx trial debuts in California</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/28/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/28/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>The latest lawsuit against Merck over its market-pulled painkiller Vioxx debuts this week in a California courtroom, while the drug giant continues to defend itself in a separate trial in New Jersey.</description><pubDate>Wed, 28 Jun 2006 16:56:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Medical journal publishes Vioxx correction</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/26/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/26/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>The New England Journal of Medicine posted a correction in its current issue, removing its previously published finding that it takes at least 18 months for heart attack risks to increase from use of Vioxx, the anti-arthritis painkiller that Merck pulled from the market.</description><pubDate>Mon, 26 Jun 2006 17:33:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck corrects Vioxx study description, but results unchanged</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/30/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/30/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>Merck, the no. 2 drugmaker in America, said on Tuesday that it made a correction to the study that led to the withdrawal of its arthritis painkiller Vioxx, but that it didn't change the results of the study.</description><pubDate>Tue, 30 May 2006 20:52:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Vioxx: Best spinner could be the winner</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/19/news/economy/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/19/news/economy/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>Merck is just weeks away from its next trial over the former blockbuster drug Vioxx, and lawyers from both sides have fresh fodder for the courtroom battle.</description><pubDate>Fri, 19 May 2006 15:58:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck denies new allegations on Vioxx risk</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/18/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/18/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>Merck is denying news reports that suggest new data from the drug maker indicates Vioxx increased heart attack risks earlier than previously reported and that the risk for stroke persisted long after the patient stopped taking the drug.</description><pubDate>Thu, 18 May 2006 15:28:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck data suggests earlier onset of Vioxx risks</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/18/news/companies/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/18/news/companies/merck/index.htm</guid><description>New data from drug maker Merck suggests that heart risks associated with painkiller Vioxx begin much earlier than it had previously suggested, said a report published Thursday.</description><pubDate>Thu, 18 May 2006 10:04:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Fosamax, Merck's other drug problem</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/08/news/companies/fosamax/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/08/news/companies/fosamax/index.htm</guid><description>Merck, already in a long fight against thousands of Vioxx lawsuits, will soon face a two-front war, as plaintiffs begin to file suit over a different drug: Fosamax.</description><pubDate>Mon, 08 May 2006 16:30:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Canadian Vioxx study challenges Merck</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/03/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/03/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>A Canadian study involving thousands of Vioxx patients concluded they faced the highest risk of heart attack during the first few weeks of taking Merck's arthritis painkiller.</description><pubDate>Wed, 03 May 2006 13:51:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck found liable in Texas Vioxx case</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/21/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/21/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>A jury in a Texas border town found the drug maker Merck liable Friday in the death of a former Vioxx patient.</description><pubDate>Fri, 21 Apr 2006 19:31:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Vioxx jury: Merck lied, must pay</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/11/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/11/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>A New Jersey jury found Merck liable Tuesday of misrepresenting Vioxx to federal regulators, and ordered the drugmaker to pay $9 million in punitive damages to a man who suffered a heart attack after taking the painkiller.</description><pubDate>Tue, 11 Apr 2006 14:16:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Dow falls on inflation woes</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/06/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/06/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm</guid><description>Blue chips slipped Thursday, on worries about inflation amid Treasury bond yields near 4-year highs, gold near a 25-year high and oil prices near $68 a barrel.</description><pubDate>Thu, 06 Apr 2006 13:52:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck stock tumbles after Vioxx verdict</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/06/news/companies/merck_outlook/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/06/news/companies/merck_outlook/index.htm</guid><description>Merck stock tumbled Thursday, a day after the nation's No. 2 drugmaker was found liable for the heart attack of a New Jersey man who took Vioxx and a jury awarded $4.5 million in damages.</description><pubDate>Thu, 06 Apr 2006 13:31:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Stocks struggle at open</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/06/markets/markets_nyopen/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/06/markets/markets_nyopen/index.htm</guid><description>Stocks struggled Wednesday morning, amid disappointing March sales from retailers and weakness in Merck after a jury handed down a split verdict in its latest Vioxx trial.</description><pubDate>Thu, 06 Apr 2006 13:27:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Judge dismisses federal Vioxx case</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/05/news/companies/vioxx_dismissal/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/05/news/companies/vioxx_dismissal/index.htm</guid><description>A federal judge presiding over thousands of Vioxx lawsuits against Merck on Wednesday dismissed the first case filed by a long-term patient of the painkiller.</description><pubDate>Wed, 05 Apr 2006 20:04:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck gets split ruling in Vioxx trial</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/05/news/companies/merck_verdict/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/05/news/companies/merck_verdict/index.htm</guid><description>Merck &amp;amp; Co. was held liable Wednesday by a New Jersey jury in the heart attack of a 77-year-old man who took the painkiller Vioxx, but not in the one suffered by a 60-year-old plaintiff.</description><pubDate>Wed, 05 Apr 2006 13:09:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Looking for direction</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/04/markets/stockswatch/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/04/markets/stockswatch/index.htm</guid><description>Investors could be looking to oil prices for direction in trading Tuesday following an up and down day to start the new quarter.</description><pubDate>Tue, 04 Apr 2006 09:48:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Judge says class-action Vioxx lawsuit can proceed</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/31/news/companies/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/31/news/companies/merck/index.htm</guid><description>A New Jersey appeals court Friday upheld a class-action lawsuit against Merck from some plaintiffs alleging they were misled regarding the risks of the painkiller Vioxx.</description><pubDate>Fri, 31 Mar 2006 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck wraps up defense in N.J. Vioxx case</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/30/news/companies/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/30/news/companies/merck/index.htm</guid><description>Merck &amp;amp; Co. wrapped up its defense in the latest Vioxx product liability trial on Thursday with testimony from a psychiatrist who said one of the plaintiffs who blames the painkiller for his heart attack never mentioned taking it when discussing his medical history.</description><pubDate>Thu, 30 Mar 2006 20:06:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Houston hotshot Lanier takes on Merck again</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/27/news/companies/merckvcona/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/27/news/companies/merckvcona/index.htm</guid><description>Mark Lanier, the only lawyer so far to defeat Merck in a Vioxx-related lawsuit, will face off with the drug maker again, but this time Merck has the home field in New Jersey and Lanier will be representing a heart attack survivor, not a widow.</description><pubDate>Mon, 27 Feb 2006 18:38:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck's Vioxx fight looks tougher in NJ</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/27/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/27/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>Merck's got three victories and only one loss under its belt in the ongoing Vioxx litigation battle, but the upcoming cases could get a lot tougher.</description><pubDate>Mon, 27 Feb 2006 16:22:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Don't Let Pain Get in Your Way</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/2006/03/01/8370195/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/2006/03/01/8370195/index.htm</guid><description>The truth hurts. What's the No. 1 cause of disability in the U.S.? It's not heart disease (despite the 1.2 million heart attacks that will show up in the E.R. this year). Nor is it addiction (despi... </description><pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 2006 15:15:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Market return for Vioxx and Bextra?</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/10/news/companies/nsaid/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/10/news/companies/nsaid/index.htm</guid><description>Will the scorned painkillers Vioxx and Bextra ever get back on the market? Will Celebrex ever shake its black box warning?</description><pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2006 12:20:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Vioxx's next battlefield: New Orleans</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/02/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/02/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>The next big battle over Vioxx takes place in New Orleans, a city mired in its own conflicts with nature, the government and itself.</description><pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2006 17:27:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck's Vioxx bill: $285 million and counting</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/31/news/companies/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/31/news/companies/merck/index.htm</guid><description>Merck burned through nearly $300 million in 2005 defending itself against Vioxx-related lawsuits and shoring up its legal defenses against future cases, said CEO Richard Clark.</description><pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2006 15:11:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Vioxx: Showdown in Rio Grande</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/23/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/23/news/companies/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>The Garza family faces off against Merck this week in a Texas border town, in the fourth lawsuit to blame Vioxx, the market-pulled painkiller, for causing heart attacks.</description><pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:12:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Fourth Vioxx case set for Jan. 24</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/10/news/companies/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/10/news/companies/merck/index.htm</guid><description>The fourth Vioxx lawsuit against Merck &amp;amp; Co. will be held this month in a rural Texas court, the drug giant said Tuesday, and a retrial of the federal case that ended in a hung jury will be held in February in New Orleans.</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2006 15:06:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Another $1B in cost cuts at Merck</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/15/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/15/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</guid><description>With Vioxx-related lawsuits increasing, Merck said at an analyst meeting Thursday that it has added up to $1 billion worth of projected cuts to its multibillion dollar plan to slash costs through 2010.</description><pubDate>Thu, 15 Dec 2005 14:08:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Vioxx mistrial a blip in Merck's radar</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/13/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/13/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</guid><description>The mistrial in the third Vioxx case gave investors a scare on Monday, but analysts say that it changes little for Merck, which has an improving pipeline but still faces thousands of lawsuits and is unlikely to show real growth for years.</description><pubDate>Tue, 13 Dec 2005 17:12:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Vioxx retrials for Merck?</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/09/news/fortune500/vioxxretrial/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/09/news/fortune500/vioxxretrial/index.htm</guid><description>A report from a prestigious medical journal that Merck withheld information about the dangers of Vioxx could lead to new trials both in a federal case currently before the jury and in a state case won by the drug company.</description><pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2005 15:26:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>How's the sledding?</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/09/markets/stockswatch/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/09/markets/stockswatch/index.htm</guid><description>Stocks were looking for direction early Friday, as reports of corporate deals were balanced by disappointing guidance from Intel and higher oil prices.</description><pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2005 10:32:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck VP denies pressuring doc</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/08/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/08/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>In a Houston courtroom on Wednesday, a Merck executive denied she pressured a doctor to keep an unfavorable Vioxx story out of a leading medical journal, according to a published news report.</description><pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2005 13:21:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck's Vioxx showdown in Texas</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/29/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/29/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>Jury selection began in Houston on Tuesday in the latest high-stakes legal battle for Merck ... and its first in a federal courtroom.</description><pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2005 14:53:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Will Texas be kinder to Merck this time?</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/23/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/23/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>Merck is returning to Texas next week, where it lost its first Vioxx lawsuit in a state court, to fight its third case - now in a federal court - a legal battleground that could be more receptive to the company, say legal experts.</description><pubDate>Wed, 23 Nov 2005 18:53:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Another caution on Vioxx, Celebrex</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/13/news/fortune500/coxrisk/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/13/news/fortune500/coxrisk/index.htm</guid><description>DALLAS (CNN/Money) - Merck's Vioxx, Pfizer's Celebrex and similar painkillers increase the risk of death among patients who have already survived a previous heart attack, especially when taken in high doses, according to data released Sunday at the American Heart Association conference here.</description><pubDate>Sun, 13 Nov 2005 19:46:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Vioxx judge seeks long-use cases</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/11/news/fortune500/vioxx_trials/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/11/news/fortune500/vioxx_trials/index.htm</guid><description>A New Jersey state judge who is overseeing about 3,500 personal-injury lawsuits filed by users of Vioxx says she wants to hear only upcoming cases involving plaintiffs who took the drug for 18 months or longer, according to Ted Mayer, an outside attorney for Vioxx maker Merck &amp;amp; Co.</description><pubDate>Fri, 11 Nov 2005 21:56:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck nemesis to file suit in NJ</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/03/news/fortune500/lanier/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/03/news/fortune500/lanier/index.htm</guid><description>Mark Lanier, the Houston lawyer who won the first Vioxx lawsuit against Merck in August, said he will make a request in New Jersey Superior Court on Monday to represent the first of some 20,000 plaintiffs.</description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:23:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Big win for Merck in Vioxx 2</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/03/news/fortune500/merck_humeston/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/03/news/fortune500/merck_humeston/index.htm</guid><description>Merck &amp;amp; Co. was found not liable by a New Jersey jury Thursday in the second Vioxx trial -- a key victory for the troubled drugmaker as it faces thousands of other lawsuits over the painkiller.</description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2005 15:15:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>'Treat' at the start</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/31/markets/stockswatch/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/31/markets/stockswatch/index.htm</guid><description>Stocks could get a lift early Monday from merger activity and a new drop in the price of oil.</description><pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2005 10:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck holds the line on Vioxx</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/24/news/fortune500/merck_earnings/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/24/news/fortune500/merck_earnings/index.htm</guid><description>Merck maintains its defense for Vioxx, the beleaguered painkiller that was pulled off the market in 2004 and has been blamed for heart attacks in a growing tally of lawsuits, a top company lawyer said Monday.</description><pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2005 15:47:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Next Vioxx trial postponed</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/19/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/19/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>The third civil trial involving Vioxx, the arthritis painkiller that Merck pulled from the market last year, has been postponed up to six months, according to plaintiff's lawyer Mark Lanier.</description><pubDate>Wed, 19 Oct 2005 18:28:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Danger from Vioxx high, witness</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/16/news/fortune500/vioxx_wirness/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/16/news/fortune500/vioxx_wirness/index.htm</guid><description>The probability that Merck &amp;amp; Co. Inc.'s arthritis drug Vioxx could lead to heart problems or stroke is very high, an expert witness told a court hearing a closely watched product liability lawsuit.</description><pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2005 22:27:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Jury selected in N.J. Vioxx trial</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/13/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/13/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>The jury has been selected in the second Vioxx civil case and opening arguments begin Wednesday in New Jersey superior court.</description><pubDate>Tue, 13 Sep 2005 15:21:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>No global settlement for Vioxx suits</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/09/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/09/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>There will be no global settlement for Vioxx lawsuits against Merck, which now total about 5,000, said Merck's senior vice president and general counsel Kenneth Frazier on Friday.</description><pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2005 15:38:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Don't bet on Merck's homefield advantage</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/08/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/08/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>After falling flat on its face in the first Vioxx trial in Texas, Merck is likely to face a less hostile group of potential jurors when the drugmaker heads to court next week in its home state of New Jersey.</description><pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2005 12:19:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Limping to the finish</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/26/markets/stockswatch/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/26/markets/stockswatch/index.htm</guid><description>The likely low volume that is typical on a late August Friday appeared to trip up stock investors just before the market open.</description><pubDate>Fri, 26 Aug 2005 09:37:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck's Vioxx bill could hit $50 billion</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/22/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/22/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</guid><description>Merck's total product liability from Vioxx could reach $50 billion, the stock research firm Friedman, Billings, Ramsey &amp;amp; Co. said Monday, the largest estimate so far in the drugmaker's ongoing litigation over the once popular painkiller.</description><pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2005 15:28:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Jury: Merck negligent</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/19/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/19/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>Merck has been held liable by a Texas jury in the first lawsuit involving its former blockbuster drug Vioxx, in a case that could have a profound effect on thousands of other cases filed against the company.</description><pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2005 18:45:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Stock gains snuffed by Merck, oil</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/19/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/19/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm</guid><description>Stocks finished nearly flat Friday as soaring oil prices and a guilty verdict in the Merck Vioxx case wiped out earlier gains made on company share upgrades and rising energy stocks.</description><pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2005 13:37:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Drug industry could use a face lift</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/16/news/fortune500/drugindustry/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/16/news/fortune500/drugindustry/index.htm</guid><description>"Big pharmaceuticals, they're right up there with the arm dealers."</description><pubDate>Tue, 16 Aug 2005 14:15:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck faces big Vioxx showdown in N.J.</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/12/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/12/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>The first Vioxx trial is expected to close next week in Texas, but this is just the beginning of Merck's legal battle against more than 4,000 lawsuits from plaintiffs blaming Vioxx for health problems and untimely deaths.</description><pubDate>Fri, 12 Aug 2005 15:56:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>THE PREACHER WHO'S RAISING HELL WITH MERCK</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2005/08/08/8267656/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2005/08/08/8267656/index.htm</guid><description>IT'S HURRICANE SEASON ON THE GULF Coast, and two weeks into the first Vioxx personal-injury trial in Angleton, Texas, drugmaker Merck is facing a category 5 force of nature: W. Mark Lanier, a bigti...</description><pubDate>Mon, 08 Aug 2005 04:01:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Plaintiff testifies in first Vioxx trial</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/04/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/04/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>The plaintiff in the first of several thousand Vioxx lawsuits took the stand in a Texas court Thursday and said she is taking antidepressants to alleviate the sorrow from her husband's death.</description><pubDate>Thu, 04 Aug 2005 12:25:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck lawyers attack Vioxx testimony</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/28/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/28/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>Merck's lawyers attacked potentially damaging testimony from a medical examiner in the first Vioxx lawsuit and filed a motion Thursday to prevent her from testifying before jurors in a Texas courtroom.</description><pubDate>Thu, 28 Jul 2005 12:46:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Vioxx lawsuits snowballed in 2Q</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/21/news/fortune500/merck_lawsuits/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/21/news/fortune500/merck_lawsuits/index.htm</guid><description>The tally of Vioxx-related lawsuits against drug giant Merck increased dramatically over the last three months, the company said Thursday.</description><pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2005 15:06:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Drug makers: Take two and run away</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/19/news/fortune500/drugearnings/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/19/news/fortune500/drugearnings/index.htm</guid><description>If you're hoping for some good results from the drug sector this week, take an aspirin. With two exceptions, the Street expects the earnings pain among drug makers to continue.</description><pubDate>Tue, 19 Jul 2005 13:33:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>A lot at stake for Merck in Vioxx suits</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/11/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/11/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>The first Vioxx lawsuit against Merck &amp;amp; Co. begins Monday in a Texas state courtroom and the implications could be huge for the embattled drugmaker.</description><pubDate>Mon, 11 Jul 2005 13:03:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Judge denies Merck request in Vioxx case</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/05/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/05/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>A Texas judge rejected Merck's request to postpone its July 11 court date for the first in a series of lawsuits involving Vioxx, an arthritis painkiller the company withdrew last year because of health risks, according to a court spokesperson.</description><pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2005 13:55:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Texas AG sues Merck over Vioxx</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/30/news/fortune500/texasag/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/30/news/fortune500/texasag/index.htm</guid><description>The Texas Attorney General sued Merck Thursday, accusing the drug company of misrepresenting the safety of arthritis painkiller Vioxx, the attorney general's office said.</description><pubDate>Thu, 30 Jun 2005 19:10:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck: A dividend cut and then ... ?</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/30/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/30/news/fortune500/vioxx/index.htm</guid><description>Merck shareholders have already felt the pain of plunging stocks from the Vioxx scandal. As the drug giant faces litigation that could lead to billions of dollars in potential damages, investors should also brace themselves for the possibility of a plunging dividend.</description><pubDate>Thu, 30 Jun 2005 17:07:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Big Pharma's new prestige king</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2005/06/27/8263486/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2005/06/27/8263486/index.htm</guid><description>Drug executives won't soon forget the snakebit parade that started last fall when once-mighty Merck yanked its painkiller Vioxx off the market. Then the Food and Drug Administration rejected AstraZ...</description><pubDate>Mon, 27 Jun 2005 04:01:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Is patent Merck's Vioxx smoking gun?</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/23/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/23/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</guid><description>Merck &amp;amp; Co. Inc. tried to patent a drug that would reduce heart attack risks for Vioxx users, three years before the company withdrew the painkiller because of safety concerns.</description><pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2005 12:24:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>Survey: We wanna a new drug</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/04/news/survey/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/04/news/survey/index.htm</guid><description>More than a third of online consumers would buy pharmaceutical drugs even if they are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, according to an international survey by comScore Networks that was conducted after blockbuster arthritis treatment drug Vioxx was pulled from the market.</description><pubDate>Mon, 04 Apr 2005 18:35:00 EDT</pubDate></item><item><title>When Stocks Get Smacked</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/2005/03/01/8251214/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/2005/03/01/8251214/index.htm</guid><description>The hits just keep on coming. Over the past 12 months a number of big-name companies have been caught up in scandals or blunders—maybe not Enron-bad, but bad enough to keep investors off-kilter. Tw...</description><pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2005 05:01:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Celebrex, Bextra, Vioxx can stay</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/18/news/fortune500/merck_drugs/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/18/news/fortune500/merck_drugs/index.htm</guid><description>While the painkillers Celebrex, Bextra, and Vioxx significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular problems, the danger is not great enough to justify taking the drugs off the market, according to an advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration.</description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Feb 2005 20:59:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck boosts blue chips</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/18/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/18/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm</guid><description>Blue chips rose near the close Friday after a U.S. regulatory panel ruled that Merck's Vioxx was safe enough to return to market.</description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Feb 2005 14:54:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>FDA panel: Vioxx can return to market</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/18/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/18/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</guid><description>A panel of experts said Friday that Merck &amp;amp; Co. Inc.'s now-withdrawn painkiller Vioxx was safe enough to be sold in the United States despite an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.</description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Feb 2005 10:55:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck -- worst behind it?</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2005/01/25/news/fortune500/merckearnings/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2005/01/25/news/fortune500/merckearnings/index.htm</guid><description>Merck &amp;amp; Co. Tuesday reported its worst annual profit since 1998 after pulling Vioxx off the market late last year and boosted the amount it set aside for lawsuits over the recall of the once popular painkiller.</description><pubDate>Tue, 25 Jan 2005 15:15:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck warns '05 to miss target</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/08/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/08/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</guid><description>Merck &amp;amp; Co. Inc., reeling from the recent withdrawal of its Vioxx arthritis drug, on Wednesday said 2005 earnings will decline to levels below Wall Street expectations, the third straight year of lower results.</description><pubDate>Wed, 08 Dec 2004 12:36:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>How murky is Merck?</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/06/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/06/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</guid><description>Unless Merck invents a miracle cure for a sagging stock price, the company is going to wind up as the worst performer in the Dow Jones Industrial Average this year.</description><pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2004 15:50:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>New worry for Vioxx victims -- scams</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/01/news/fortune500/vioxx_ads/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/01/news/fortune500/vioxx_ads/index.htm</guid><description>Vioxx users have another scourge to worry about now: hucksters making false promises on the Internet about the millions of dollars they can get from suing Merck &amp;amp; Co., the drug's maker.</description><pubDate>Wed, 01 Dec 2004 18:07:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Losing Faith in Wonder Drugs?</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/2004/12/01/8192179/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/2004/12/01/8192179/index.htm</guid><description>When Merck yanked the arthritis wonder drug Vioxx off shelves this fall, it not only devastated the company's stock and reputation, it raised fears about the safety of every big new drug. After all...</description><pubDate>Wed, 01 Dec 2004 05:01:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>NY state pension fund sues Merck</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/30/funds/pensionfund_merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/30/funds/pensionfund_merck/index.htm</guid><description>The New York State pension fund sued Merck &amp;amp; Co. Tuesday, claiming to have suffered huge financial losses from the scandal surrounding the drugmaker's Vioxx painkiller.</description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Nov 2004 21:07:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Drug stocks feel the heat</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/19/news/fortune500/drug_movers/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/19/news/fortune500/drug_movers/index.htm</guid><description>Drug stocks took another hit Friday, a day after a veteran Food and Drug Administration researcher said that five drugs currently on the market needed closer scrutiny for possible safety risks.</description><pubDate>Fri, 19 Nov 2004 16:15:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck, FDA grilled at Senate hearing</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/18/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/18/news/fortune500/merck/index.htm</guid><description>Merck and federal regulators came under fire Thursday for their handling of Vioxx but the drugmaker's CEO staunchly defended the company's withdrawal of the drug after increased risks of heart attacks and strokes were found.</description><pubDate>Thu, 18 Nov 2004 12:48:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Merck: Vioxx pulled when risk was seen</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/16/news/fortune500/merck_gilmartin/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/16/news/fortune500/merck_gilmartin/index.htm</guid><description>The chairman of pharmaceutical heavyweight Merck said Tuesday its arthritis drug Vioxx was pulled from the market at the earliest indication of problems.</description><pubDate>Tue, 16 Nov 2004 16:50:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Vioxx recall spurs FDA overhaul</title><link>http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/05/news/fortune500/fda/index.htm</link><guid>http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/05/news/fortune500/fda/index.htm</guid><description>In light of the recent recall of Vioxx and the controversy over the connection between antidepressants and child suicides, the Federal Drug Administration on Friday announced a five-step program aimed at improving its method of assessing risks connected with drugs.</description><pubDate>Fri, 05 Nov 2004 19:27:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>