May 06, 2008 - Merck Extends Deadline for Vioxx Registrants to Submit Proof

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May 6, 2008 - Merck & Company, maker of  Vioxx, the drug which is the subject of a recent $4.85 billion dollar settlement proposal, has extended the deadline for claimants made ill by the drug to submit their paperwork.

Merck agreed to the $4.85 billion settlement in November of last year, in order to bring an end to the approximately 61,100 lawsuits involving Vioxx. Eligible claimants who took Vioxx and subsequently suffered a heart attack or stroke were originally given a May 1st deadline to submit proof. As of March 31st, approximately 45,000 claimants had registered, and with the paperwork for those claimants still not verified and more paperwork arriving each day, Merck made the decision to extend the deadline to June 30th.

Lawyers on the steering committee for the plaintiffs said that the extension raised no concerns for them. They said that they had anticipated it, given the rate at which new documents have been arriving each day.

Merck pulled Vioxx from the market on Sept. 30, 2004, amid evidence the blockbuster drug doubled risk of heart attack and stroke.