The pharmaceutical company Merck has won a personal injury court case associated with its cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor rofecoxib (Vioxx) in the United States, a jury ruled in Atlantic City last week. This is the second case to be brought against the drug giant out of more than 6000 claims expected from people or their relatives who say they were harmed by rofecoxib. Merck lost the first case.

In the most recent case, the state court jury found by an eight to one vote that Vioxx had not caused Frederick Humeston, a 60 year old Idaho postal worker, to have a …