Helpful drugs can become dangerous drugs when the drug company or its sales people sidestep the re-approval process and begin marketing a drug as treatment for "off-label" uses. This is what is said to have occurred with the drug Vioxx. This dangerous drug was a problem for both its approved use and its unapproved use.

Originally approved in 1999 as a painkiller, the company promoted the drug also for use for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The company was sent a warning letter in 2001, but continued to promote it for arthritis use. In 2002 it was finally approved for that use.

In 2004, however, the drug was pulled from the market after studies found that it increased users' risk of heart attack and stroke. In 2005, the New England Journal of Medicine accused Vioxx researchers of withholding key heart risk data from trial results published in the Journal.

In 2007, Merck settled some 50,000 lawsuits from people who were injured or whose loved one died from use of this dangerous drug. The company paid $4.85 billion dollars to the plaintiffs in these civil lawsuits.

But a criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department was not resolved until last Tuesday, when Merck was sentenced to $321.6 million in criminal fines and agreed to increased oversight by the Justice Department regarding its sales and marketing practices, publication of trial results and its pricing activities (the company must post information about physician payments on its website).

Merck will also pay $628.4 million in a civil settlement.

If you or a loved one has been injured by dangerous drugs, contact an Arizona personal injury attorney today.

Source: US News, "Merck to Pay $950M to Settle Probe of Vioxx Marketing," by Steven Reinberg, November 22, 2011.