In November 2007 the US pharmaceutical company Merck & Co announced that they would agree to pay $4.85bn to settle legal claims that the controversial drug Vioxx, which they manufactured and distributed, caused many users to suffer strokes and heart failure.
However despite selling and profiting from this drug around the world they announced that this ‘compensation fund’ would only be available to US Citizens. In UK, over 400,000 people have been prescribed Vioxx with 500 UK victims continuing to fight for compensation for the health effects of the drug on themselves or a family member.
This site is a place for people to visit to get the latest news on, and lend their voice to, the fight to get equality of treatment for all victims of Vioxx.
This group believes:
- All victims of the drug regardless of their nationality should be compensated
- To award compensation based on the country in which the victim lives is an injustice and is discriminatory
- Merck & Co should remain responsible for the effects of their product on an individual regardless of the nationality of that victim
- The Government should regulate against companies who make profits in the UK but do not safeguard the consumer