Merck faces shareholder lawsuits

Vioxx was pulled from the market in 2004

A US court has revived shareholder lawsuits against drugs giant Merck for allegedly concealing the health risks of its arthritis painkiller Vioxx.

A federal appeal court has sent the lawsuits back to the New Jersey federal judge who dismissed them in May 2006.

Vioxx, once a $2.5bn-a-year earner, was taken off the market in 2004 after it was found users had a high risk of heart attack, stroke and death.

The shareholders group claims Merck directors covered up these risks.

The appeals court said US District Judge Stanley R Chesler should have allowed the plaintiffs to amend their original complaint with additional materials.

Ted Mayer, a legal representative for Merck, said they looked forward "to presenting our arguments anew to the district court".

The plaintiffs' lawyer Darren Roberts said the decision to go back to court was "a tremendous victory for Merck shareholders".

Vioxx was launched in 1999 and became a best-selling anti-inflammatory drug, used primarily to treat arthritis.

It was pulled from the market in September 2004 after a study found it could double the risk of heart attacks.

Juries in cases surrounding claims of injury and death have found that Merck failed to provide adequate warnings about the health risks associated with Vioxx