ANGLETON, Texas (Reuters) - A Texas jury in the first Vioxx case to go to trial on Friday found pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. negligent in the death of man taking the drug and awarded his widow $253 million in damages.
The stunning verdict was certain to be greatly reduced under Texas law, but it sent Merck's stock sharply down as investors feared it could set a precedent for more than 4,200 lawsuits charging the company hid the heart attack and stroke risks of the big-selling painkiller.