October 8, 2004
The courthouse was busy in Madison County, Illinois, today. The downstate county has the reputation of being friendly to class actions and lawyers lost no time filing lawsuits there on behalf of Vioxx users.
One of the suits names Patricia Bilbrey, 75, of Glen Carbon as the lead plaintiff. She is the mother of Mike Bilbrey, the managing partner of the firm that filed the suit.
"She was prescribed Vioxx for arthritic knee problems," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch quoted Bilbrey as saying. "And she has taken the medication for over 18 months, which the study indicates puts her at increased health risk."
Bilbrey said his mother stopped taking the drug after her ankles swelled.
In Burlington, Vermont, Sara Cheeseman is the lead plaintiff in a suit filed in U.S. District Court.
"This action seeks damages and the establishment of a medical monitoring program on behalf of (Cheeseman) and the class to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment for Vioxx-related adverse health effects for all Vermonters who acquired and used Vioxx," the lawsuit read.
James Conway III said that although Cheesman appears to be in good health now, she and others who took Vioxx should be reimbursed for the cost of monitoring their health in the future.
Merck last week recalled Vioxx after a study showed people who took the prescription drug for more than 18 months were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke or blood clots.
The suits allege that Merck knew for years that Vioxx had harmful side effects.
Merck is bracing for many more lawsuits and says it will "vigorously defend" its actions. About 84 million Vioxx prescriptions have been filled since the drug's introduction.
