Heart attack from even rare use of Vioxx

One of the most remarkable piece of testimony in Vioxx litigation came from world-renowned cardiologist Dr. Benedict Lucchesi. In total contrast to Merck's position that a patient must take Vioxx for a minimum of 18 months to suffer a personal injury, he says that even intermittent use can cause a heart attack. He went so far to say that someone who has taken Vioxx even once may be at risk.

This has far reaching consequence on which patients can sue Merck. All this time, attorneys were discouraging anyone who had not taken the drug for 18 months to come forward. They were also reluctant to take those cases where the patient had not suffered a heart attack. However, today's testimony shows that almost all the 20 million people who took the drug were injured in some way even if they did not have a heart attack or stroke.

In cross-examining Dr. Lucchesi, who is widely regarded as an authority in the world of cardiology, Merck lawyers tried to discredit him despite the fact that he invented the pacemaker and has been a professor at University of Michigan Medical School for decades. The company's legal team failed to block his testimony twice in the past. In the end, Dr. Lucchesi stood his ground except that he admitted that Vioxx is safe for many people.

Related article: Merck continues with its deception campaign