The latest trial resulted in a victory for Merck (MRK) in the important category of alleged victims who took Vioxx for less than eighteen months. In this case, Richard Irvin had taken Vioxx for less than one month when he died of a heart attack.
A critical part of MRK's victory was a pretrial ruling by the judge that prevented an "expert" pathologist from attributing Mr. Irvin's deadly clot to Vioxx. This was a major departure from last fall's headline case in Texas where a doctor practically put Vioxx on the deceased's tombstone.
This legal process may go on for awhile. Another trial is currently under way in Rio Grande City, Texas (surprise) in what will certainly be a more plaintiff-friendly process. As headlines develop, investment opportunities may as well, allowing for increased investments on worse than expected verdicts.
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