ATLANTA, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- A special Atlanta seminar, sponsored by Netlaw, will be held November 21st, to advise Vioxx users of their rights against the drug giant Merck & Co. Vioxx, a pain mediation, was withdrawn from the market September 30, 2004, after studies showed users are twice as likely to suffer heart attacks and strokes as those on other drugs. Disclosures show that Merck may have known of health risks since 2001.
The seminar is the first meeting for Vioxx users in the United States. Two sessions will be held between 3-5 PM and 6-8 PM, at the Holiday Inn, 2061 N. Druid Hills Rd in Atlanta. At the meeting, legal-medical experts will cover:
- Medical complications that may be caused by Vioxx; - How & why Merck may be liable for Vioxx claims; - How Vioxx claims could exceed $10 billion; - How the courts could treat liability claims; - Hearings by the U.S. Congress, held on 11-18-04.
More than 20 million consumers have used Vioxx since 1999, and Merck had more than $2 billion in Vioxx sales in 2003 alone. The Vioxx recall may cost Merck over $15 billion in lost profits and claims, based on recent estimates. “Victims will have complex choices related to a successful legal strategy,” says Guerry Thornton of Netlaw, an Atlanta lawyer who has been involved in other mass tort cases, including the $2.5 billion Dalkon Shield settlement.
“Vioxx could be one of the largest drug cases in history. The meeting is designed to provide the public with information about Vioxx and issues concerning Merck’s recall of the drug,” says Ben Finley of Atlanta’s Finley & Buckley. Mr. Finley has been involved in noteworthy pharmaceutical cases, including the $4.5 billion diet drug settlement. Mr. Finley will speak on the legal rules to prove a claim and drug company defenses.
The seminar is for Vioxx victims; it is free of charge & will be held at this time & location:
VIOXX VICTIMS’ ATLANTA CONFERENCE 1ST SESSION - 3PM to 5PM 2ND SESSION - 6PM to 8PM Sunday, November 21, 2004 Holiday Inn Hotel, 1st Floor Conference Room 2061 North Druid Hills Road (at I-85 North Intersection)
This Atlanta conference for Vioxx victims follows a national lawyers meeting held on November 13th, to formulate a coordinated legal strategy. To date, lawyers have filed class actions, individual suits and consumer fraud actions against Merck, based on official court records. It is being held a few days after U. S. Senate hearings were initiated into the legality of Merck’s conduct and FDA regulators.
Also today, Senator Charles Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said that he is “concerned about the safety of FDA approved drugs,” and that the Committee is investigating whether or not Merck ignored warnings from its internal reports on Vioxx and studies by outside scientists. “This shows that the FDA should not solely rely on trial data by drug companies when it approves medications,” says Thornton, who will chair the meeting.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONFERENCE, OR TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW, CONTACT:
Guerry Thornton at: 404 933 0298 or 404 467 1670 Ben Finley at: 404 320 9979 or 404 217 6680 OR: Mike Wilson Public Relations: Mike Wilson or Heather Dewald at: 404 365 9000 or 404 550 5535 FOR RESOURCE MATERIAL, GO TO: Article posted at: http://www.netlaw.net/ Vioxx history at: http://www.gavioxxlawyer.com/
Guerry Thornton/Netlaw
CONTACT: Heather Dewald, hdewald@mikewilsonpr.com , or Mike Wilson,mwilson@mikewilsonpr.com , both of Mike Wilson Public Relations,+1-404-365-9000, or +1-404-550-5535
