Jury Deliberating In First Fosamax Trial: Kentucky Injury Lawyer Special Report
Significant scientific evidence has emerged that Merck & Co.'s Fosamax causes a rare but serious complication known as osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) and is a defective drug. There is also evidence that Merck failed to warn doctors and patients of the significant risks associated with Fosamax, even after the medical and pharmaceutical communities became aware of these problems, for fear that it could hurt the enormous profits Merck was making from the drug.
Only a couple of years ago, Fosamax, which is used to offset bone loss associated with menopause, was one of the most popular drugs in the United States. U.S. doctors wrote about 2.6 million prescriptions for the drug last year, which was down from more than 15 million prescriptions in 2007, according to a pharmaceutical industry magazine.
According to Merck financials, Fosamax had world-wide sales of $1.55 billion last year, and nearly twice that amount in 2007. It was the pharmaceutical giant's most profitable drug after it was forced to pull it's ubiquitous pain killer Vioxx off the market.
There are currently between 900 and 1200 Fosamax cases pending in the U.S. The first of three cases being called "bell weather" trials in Federal Court in New York has just concluded and jury deliberations have begun. The verdicts in these three cases will greatly influence the outcome of the pending cases.
Bahe Cook Cantley & Jones PLC attorneys Shawn Cantley, Vanessa Cantley, John Bahe, and Brian Cook represent several of the Kentucky plaintiffs in the Fosamax litigation, and are obviously watching this first case closely. Anyone interested in learning more about these cases should feel free to contact Shawn, Vanessa, John or Brian.
For the latest report on the trial from the New York Times, follow this link: High Stakes for Merck in Fosamax Trial.
