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May 20, 2008 10:48 am US/Central

Merck To Pay $58M In False Vioxx Advertising Claim

 CBS News Quiz: Rx For Safe Medicines

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) ― Merck & Co. is paying $58 million as part of a multistate settlement concerning advertising of the now-withdrawn painkiller, Vioxx.

The settlement announced Tuesday addresses allegations that Merck's advertising deceptively downplayed the health risks of Vioxx. New Jersey-based Merck is not admitting any wrongdoing under the settlement.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett says the settlement ends investigations by 29 states and the District of Columbia into Merck's advertising practices involving Vioxx.

The settlement also calls for Merck to submit all new TV commercials for its drugs to the FDA for review.

Vioxx was taken off the market in 2004 after research showed it doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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