National business news in brief | Treasury rates edge up; Vioxx arguments
Rates edge up The Treasury Department auctioned $30 billion in three-month bills on Monday at a discount rate of 0.060 percent, up from 0.040 percent last week. Another $31 billion in six-month bills was auctioned at a discount rate of 0.150 percent, up from 0.140 percent last week. Separately, the Federal Reserve said that the average yield for one-year Treasury bills fell to 0.27 percent last
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New wave of lawsuits for Merck
As Merck & Co. defends itself against a deluge of litigation involving its pain reliever Vioxx, the pharmaceutical giant also is fielding the first of what could be another wave of lawsuits involving Fosamax, its second-biggest seller.
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Merck's Vioxx bill: $285 million and counting
Merck burned through nearly $300 million in 2005 defending itself against Vioxx-related lawsuits and shoring up its legal defenses against future cases, said CEO Richard Clark.
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Vioxx ban hits Merck net income (BBC News)
Merck, the US pharmaceutical giant forced to withdraw its Vioxx painkiller last year, has seen a drop in profits and had to add to its legal reserves.
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