Dr. Benedict Lucchesi Testifies at Humeston Vioxx Trial in New Jersey

Dr. Benedict Lucchesi, a prominent heart and medication expert from the University of Michigan, told the jury hearing evidence at the Humeston Vioxx trial in Atlantic County, New Jersey that even a day’s use of Vioxx could be enough to cause a heart attack or stroke.  Dr. Lucchesi testified at the Humeston trial on September 19, 2005.

Dr. Lucchesi’s testimony at this New Jersey Vioxx trial included his opinions that intermittent or irregular use of Vioxx could cause a heart attack, and that Vioxx breaks down so slowly in the body that it takes about 85 hours to clear out of the blood.  Both of these points support the plaintiff’s case at this Vioxx trial, which concerns 60-year-old Idaho postal worker Frederick "Mike" Humeston, who had a heart attack in 2001 after taking Vioxx for only two months and skipping some doses during that period.

"Based on the science, there’s every reason to believe that a single dose, multiple doses, whatever, can lead to an adverse event," such as a heart attack or stroke, Dr. Lucchesi said.

This testimony by Dr. Lucchesi could be pivotal in Mr. Humeston’s lawsuit against Vioxx maker Merck & Co.  An Associated Press article published just hours after Dr. Lucchesi’s testimony on September 19 observed, however, that "at times, the jury appeared to struggle to follow brain-numbing details of the workings of Vioxx and the cardiovascular system, with expressions from puzzlement to weariness playing across their faces late in the day."

On another aspect of the liability case against Merck, Dr. Lucchesi told the Humeston jury that there was ample and repeated evidence, as well as other warning signs, which linked Vioxx to heart risks even before Vioxx was brought to the U.S. market in May 1999.  Lucchesi also testified that in reaction to a 2000 study that showed significant heart risks to Vioxx users, Merck took action on the news, but the direction taken was completely wrong.  Instead of Merck putting emphasis on the cardiovascular risks revealed by the 2000 study, the drug company continued to tell doctors and the public that Vioxx was safe.

Generally, the attorneys for Mr. Humeston have argued that Merck knew about the serious side effects of Vioxx for at least a few years before it took the drug off the market in September 2004, while the attorneys for Merck say the company first learned about the heart problems in September 2004 and acted responsibly be removing Vioxx from the market immediately, then.

The Humeston lawsuit is the first Vioxx case to go to trial in New Jersey, with about 2500 New Jersey Vioxx cases lined up after it.

(Posted by: Tom Lamb)