Merck, Plaintiffs Designate Experts in Vioxx Cardiac Injury Case

HOUSTON - Merck & Co. recently named experts it says will testify that Vioxx was not to blame for cardiac injuries alleged by plaintiffs in a pending personal injury case filed in Texas. Bell, et al. v. Merck & Co., Inc., et al., No. 03-3448 (S.D. Texas).

In a designation filed Nov. 29 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Merck says its experts - who include a former FDA reviewer, an epidemiologist, and a cardiologist - will argue that the plaintiffs' claims against the Vioxx manufacturer are without merit.

The plaintiffs in the underlying case, led …