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Published online 13 November 2007 | Nature | doi:10.1038/450324b
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Merck settles Vioxx lawsuits for $4.85 billion
But drug firm maintains it was not at fault over arthritis drug.
Three years after it pulled its blockbuster painkiller Vioxx from the market, Merck has agreed to pay $4.85 billion to settle nearly 27,000 lawsuits that claim the arthritis drug caused heart attacks and strokes.
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It is totally ridiculous that any compensation changed hands when the vast majority of people in the world cannot even afford basic healthcare. This cost will have to be passed on to consumers and will also limit research and development much needed to produce new efficacious and cost effective drugs for fighting disease worldwide. National and international lawmakers need to take a good look at their morals and ethics and change laws now to only cover rehabilitation costs and not large lump sum payments. How many lives could have been saved if that money was put into R&D and/or supplying medication at a lower cost? Globally legislators, lawyers and judiciaries must now take full responsibility for all lives that could have been saved with the proper use of that money.