Jury clears Vioxx in heart attack case

Merck & Co.’s Vioxx painkiller didn’t cause a Tennessee man’s 2003 heart attack, a federal jury ruled.

Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based Merck withdrew Vioxx in 2004 after a study showed it doubled the risk of heart attacks. Anthony Wayne Dedrick, a 51-year-old smoker who, according to his lawyer, has diabetes, high cholesterol, a family history of heart disease and a history of cocaine use, suffered a heart attack after going on Vioxx.

Merck has won seven cases and lost four since they began going to trial in 2005. The company has set aside $1.6 billion to fight more than 23,000 Vioxx-related suits.