Merck To Pay $58 Million For Misleading Advertisement Claims

A settlement has been reached between Merck & Co. and the 29 states involved in civil lawsuits regarding the prescription pain-killer Vioxx. It was alleged that advertisements for the pain-killer significantly understated the health risks associated with taking the medicine.

Vioxx exploded in popularity beginning in 1999 through its use of direct-to-consumer advertisements. Hearing all of the benefits of Vioxx and not being sufficiently warned of the side effects, consumers began requesting prescriptions from their doctors without being wholly informed of the associated risks.

In 2004 Vioxx was taken off the market following studies showing that it doubled the a person's chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke; and the lawsuits ensued.

As result of Vioxx's bold advertising claims Merck must not only pay the $58 million settlement, but also is required to submit all new advertisements to the FDA for review and approval prior to releasing them.