Defendant entity record
Merck & Co. lawsuits
Pharmaceutical major; current defendant in the Gardasil (MDL-3036) and Zostavax (MDL-2848) vaccine litigations, and the defendant in Vioxx — the settlement that shaped the modern mass-tort playbook.
Claims in these lawsuits are allegations until a court or settlement resolves them.
Key facts
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The entity record
- Fact 1
- $4.85B — Vioxx global settlement (2007); shares rose on announcement
- Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2007-11-09/merck-shares-rise-on-4-85-billion-vioxx-accord
- Fact 2
- 826 / 129 — Zostavax / Gardasil pending cases per the JPML report of July 1, 2026
- Source: https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/
Today Merck defends two vaccine MDLs: Zostavax (MDL-2848, E.D. Pa., 826 pending cases as of July 2026, substantially reduced by dispositive rulings) and Gardasil (MDL-3036, W.D.N.C., Judge Kenneth D. Bell, 129 pending), where defense rulings have narrowed claims. Both dockets illustrate that MDL consolidation is not a verdict — defendants win these fights regularly.
All current-litigation claims remain allegations until adjudicated; the record above reflects court filings and verified reporting.
Public-record events
Jul 1, 2026 · Other
Zostavax MDL at 826 pending; Gardasil MDL at 129 pending.
View source ↗Nov 9, 2007 · Settlement
Vioxx global settlement: $4.85B; Merck shares rise ~2% on announcement.
View source ↗