Top bar

About POGO's Federal Contractor Misconduct Database (FCMD)

The government awards contracts to companies with histories of misconduct such as contract fraud and environmental, ethics, and labor violations. In the absence of a centralized federal database listing instances of misconduct, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is providing such data. We believe that it will lead to improved contracting decisions and public access to information about how the government spends hundreds of billions of taxpayer money each year on goods and services. Report an instance of misconduct »

Merck & Co., Inc.

Barnett v. Merck (Vioxx Litigation)

Date: 08/17/2006 (Date of Verdict)

Misconduct Type: Health

Enforcement Agency: Non-Governmental

Contracting Party: None

Court Type: Civil

Amount: $51,000,000

Disposition: Judgment Against Defendant

Synopsis: Gerald Barnett claimed he suffered a heart attack as a result of his use of the prescription pain medication Vioxx, which is manufactured by Merck. (Merck pulled Vioxx from the market in September 2004 after its own research showed the drug increased the risk of heart attack and stroke.) A Louisiana federal jury found in favor of Barnett and awarded him $50 million in actual damages and $1 million in punitive damages.