Painkiller for Merck arrives from New Jersey. The pharma giant has long come under fire for Vioxx, the "painkiller" (medicine against pain) withdrawn from the market three years ago because it was suspected of increasing the risk of heart attack. Since 2004, 28,000 lawsuits have been filed against Merck, all by individual consumers for a value of $9.6 billion. Now the Supreme Court of the state bordering New York, known for its strongly progressive positions, has decided that the cases cannot be merged into a national class action lawsuit. For Merck it is a real boon: the thousands of proceedings will not be able to merge into the dreaded collective prosecution procedure, which in America is the most important consumer defense weapon. The company immediately adopted the strategy of tackling lawsuits one by one: it is easier for the mega-corporation to win many small lawsuits than a single class action worth almost ten billion. (S.Fi.) From Il Sole 24 Ore of 09/08/2007 FINANCE AND MARKETS p. 37
