New Jersey Supreme Court dismisses Merck's appeal over $4.5 million Vioxx ruling.

The AP (9/30) reports, "The Supreme Court of New Jersey backed a $4.5 million award to the widow of a man who suffered heart problems after using Merck's painkiller Vioxx." In doing so, "the court dismissed Merck's appeal and upheld" a lower court finding that "Merck and Co. failed to warn patient John McDarby about Vioxx's cardiac risks, which later caused the drug to be taken off the market." McDarby "suffered a heart attack in 2004, and died of complications related to his heart problems in late 2007."