Merck & Co., Inc.'s Australia Win in Vioxx Ruling is Upheld by Court

Merck & Co. (MRK) isn’t liable in Australia for heart risks associated with the Vioxx painkiller, the country’s top court ruled, upholding an appeal of the first trial decision outside the U.S. Graeme Robert Peterson was awarded A$287,912 ($290,000) in a 2010 ruling that found Vioxx contributed to his heart attack in 2003, and a Federal Court appeal panel in Melbourne reversed that decision in October 2011. The High Court of Australia today rejected a request to hear an appeal, Slater & Gordon Ltd. (SGH), a class-action law firm, said in a statement.