The attorney general of the state of Texas filed a lawsuit against Merck and company, charging the drug maker with misleading consumers about the safety of the painkiller Vioxx. The suit seeks at least $250 million in damages from Merck, alleging the pharmaceutical company violated Texas Medicaid fraud rules by not informing patients and their doctors of the growing body of evidence linking the drug to serious cardiovascular problems.
While thousands of patients have filed lawsuits against Merck, the Texas suit is the first by a state and it may open the door to similar actions by other state attorneys general.
- see this story from the Houston Chronicle