Analysis: Vioxx decision could push Merck liability to $50B

The aftershocks of last Friday's $253 million award to the widow of an alleged victim of Vioxx are continuing to be felt. A prominent analyst -- David Moskowitz of Friedman Billings Ramsay -- has raised Merck's potential exposure to $50 billion, saying that the jury's swift decision bodes ill for the drug giant. Merck also has rejected calls to create a liability reserve fund, saying it plans to appeal the ruling.

- read this story from the London Times for more

ALSO: Merck sought patent protection on ways to protect Vioxx users from cardiovascular risks a year before it was introduced. The patent focused on a reformulation of the drug that was never used. Story

PLUS: The Wall Street Journal looks at the likelihood that the verdict will feed the backlash against pharmaceutical companies, affecting the way all drugs are researched and marketed. Report