Another Risk Factor For Merck

Much of Merck & Co.'s (MRK ) success in fighting lawsuits related to Vioxx has centered around the argument that the drug posed cardiovascular risks only to those who took it for 18 months or longer. Now plaintiffs' lawyers are salivating over evidence they hope could support their argument that even patients who used the painkiller for short periods were in danger.

In coming weeks The New England Journal of Medicine is expected to publish data from a study looking at Vioxx as a potential treatment for colon cancer. The clinical trial, which was halted when Vioxx came off the market in 2004, is expected to show that some patients suffered heart attacks within a year of starting the drug. "It has become clear from a variety of studies that there is increased risk with short-term use of the drug," says Thomas R. Kline, a member of the plaintiffs' steering committee for federal Vioxx litigation.