US stocks finished mixed today as interest rate worries and a legal setback for Merck & Co countered momentum from a possible multi-billion-dollar acquisition by ConocoPhillips.

A judge declared a mistrial today in the first federal lawsuit over the once-popular painkiller Vioxx.

The solicitor representing 100 Irish users of the drug Vioxx has reacted with dismay to a ruling in the US that its manufacturer was not liable for causing a 60-year-old’s heart attack.

MERCK won a major victory in the battle over its Vioxx painkiller yesterday when a New Jersey state jury found that the drug maker properly warned consumers about the risks of the medication.

THE judge in the second Vioxx product liability trial delivered a stunning blow to Merck & Co yesterday when she struck the testimony of its first defence witness from the record.

The number of Irish patients seeking compensation from the US drugs company Merck over its controversial painkiller Vioxx has doubled in a week, it emerged tonight.

A British law firm representing people who took the painkiller Vioxx today welcomed news that the pharmaceutical giant Merck may settle.

SHARES in the embattled pharmaceutical company Merck eased back by just over 2% yesterday, the first day of trading since a US court awarded the family of a man who died from taking its flagship drug Vioxx, €207 million in damages.

THE 85 complaints to the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) about the controversial painkiller Vioxx are just the tip of the iceberg, a solicitor warned yesterday.

Kristen Hays, Angleton

US stocks ended an uneasy week mostly higher today, as a jury verdict against drug giant Merck & Co over its painkiller Vioxx erased much of an earlier advance fuelled by bargain hunting.

A Texas jury found pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co liable for the death of a man who took the once-popular painkiller Vioxx.

Another series of attacks in London unnerved Wall Street today, sending stocks falling as investors looked past strong earnings and China’s decision to revalue its currency.

RECENT scandals involving drug safety suggest companies are motivated more by profit than the welfare of patients.

A class action lawsuit has been taken in the United States against directors of Biogen Idec alleging insider dealing in the shares.

COMPLAINTS received by the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) about the controversial arthritis drug Vioxx are only the tip of the iceberg, an Irish law firm has maintained.

Blue-chip firms in the drugs and utilities sectors experienced contrasting fortunes during a lacklustre session for the FTSE 100 Index today.

The FTSE 100 Index failed to move into positive territory today despite a major boost for drugmakers.

A raft of strong earnings reports buoyed investors’ lagging confidence and sent US stocks sharply higher today, with the Dow Jones industrial average turning in its best showing of the year.

AN Irish firm of solicitors has teamed up with a major American law firm to begin what could become an international class action against drug company Merck, makers of the controversial painkiller, Vioxx.

US drugs giant Pfizer admitted it had found an increased risk of heart attacks with patients taking its top-selling painkiller Celebrex – but has no plans to remove it from the market.

AT least five medications now sold to consumers pose such risks that their sale should be limited or stopped, said a government drug reviewer who raised questions earlier about the arthritis drug Vioxx.

US stocks barely moved today while investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates.

Merck & Co yesterday said its quarterly profit fell 28% due to last month’s recall of its Vioxx arthritis drug, and the company predicted 2004 earnings will fall as much as 11% because of the recall.

Investors sent US stocks sharply lower today as oil prices continued their climb higher and new questions about the safety of arthritis drugs hit pharmaceutical stocks.

Thousands of Irish arthritis patients have been advised to contact their doctor after a drug used to treat the aliment was withdrawn from circulation worldwide yesterday.

Wall Street closed out a dismal third quarter with a mixed performance Thursday after Merck & Co. said it would be forced to remove its best-selling Vioxx arthritis drug from the market.