Monday, September 19, 2005

Expert in Humeston Vioxx Trial hammers Merck.

On Friday Plaintiff’s expert witness Dr. Benedict Lucchesi broke down on the stand. The doctor looked as though her was holding back tears when the jury was told that Merck ignored evidence that Vioxx posed a known risk to patients prior to placing it on the market.

"Based on my medical knowledge, there is a good probability that Vioxx does pose a risk to patients with underlying disorders," Lucchesi testified on behalf of Humeston. (This quote was obtained from several sources, including Yahoo and AP).

Luchhesi sais that there was a very high chance that Vioxx and other Cox-2 inhibitors, but mostly Vioxx, could lead to the development of thrombo-embolic events.

This from one of Merck's doctors early in the process.