Physician Testifies Vioxx Hid Dangers
Dr. Jerome Avorn testified that Merck & Co. downplayed the risks of Vioxx, even after a study by the Harvard Medical School professor linked that Vioxx increased the risk of heart attacks. Avorn said that Merck salespeople were told not to tell doctors about his findings. "I can think of no legitimate reason why it would ever be appropriate to suppress negative findings about a drug risk," Avorn testified to jurors in a federal court in New Orleans.
Physician testifies Merck hid Vioxx's high heart attack risk
Avorn said that Merck hid the medical risks of their drugs before the drug was withdrawn in 2004, when a study showed that the drug doubled risk for heart attacks. Merck also allegedly hid the known risks of the drugs in literature, advertisements, and statements made to doctors by sales representatives. Merck lawyer Phil Beck says that the plaintiffs' attorneys shaped Avorn's testimony and that he overstated his findings.
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