Vioxx trial

Merck lost the second federal trial over its withdrawn painkiller vioxx today.

A Jury ruled that the company must pay 50 million dollars - £26.3m to a man who suffered a heart attack as a result of taking Vioxx.

The Jury assigned full blame to Merck.

Over 16, 000 cases relating to Vioxx are scheduled to be heard in Court in the US.

Vioxx was withdrawn from the market in September 2004 after a study showed it increased the risk of heart attack and stroke.