In a trial that opened on 6 March in Atlantic City, New Jersey, lawyers led by a charismatic Texan are trying to convince a jury that Merck's blockbuster painkiller caused heart attacks in two allegedly long-term users. It is the first time that the company has confronted plaintiffs who have taken the drug for more than 18 months — the period after which, according to the study that led Merck to pull the drug in September 2004, Vioxx boosts the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
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