Australian court finds drug Vioxx doubled heart attack risk, awards man $259,000 in damagesThe once-popular painkiller Vioxx doubled the risk of heart attack and was unfit for consumption, an Australian court ruled Friday, awarding a man leading a class action suit against the drug's maker 287,000 Australian ...

An Australian judge on Friday found arthritis drug Vioxx doubled the risk of heart attacks and was not fit for sale, opening the way for hundreds of lawsuits against US pharmaceutical giant Merck. Federal Court judge Christopher Jessop awarded 287,000 dollars (259,000 US) to Graeme Peterson, who sued ...

Summary Box: Merck pays last $4.1B for Vioxx patient settlements, some other suits continueVIOXX UPDATE: Drugmaker Merck & Co. paid the final $4.1 billion into its $4.85 billion fund to settle roughly 10,000 U.S. claims that withdrawn painkiller Vioxx caused heart attacks or strokes. PLAINTIFF ...