Jury awards Vioxx plaintiff $9M

A jury has ruled that Merck must pay $9 million in punitive damages to John McDarby, a 77-year-old man who suffered a heart attack after taking Vioxx. Last week McDarby and his family were also awarded $4.5 million in compensatory damages. The additional punitive damages came into play when the New Jersey jury found that Merck purposely hid the dangers of Vioxx from the FDA despite the serious cardiovascular risks associated with the drug. This is the second Vioxx case Merck has lost, and the company still faces almost 10,000 more. Merck said it plans to appeal the jury's decision.

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