Vioxx verdict 2

Merck scored a major victory in the second US lawsuit brought over the safety of its painkiller Vioxx. A nine-member jury in a New Jersey court found on 3 November that Merck had fairly marketed and fairly represented the risks of the painkiller. Vioxx was withdrawn in September 2004 after it was found that prolonged use increased the risk of heart attack and stroke. The jury concluded that the drug did not cause the heart attack of Frederick Humeston, a 60-year-old postal worker, in 2001. Merck lost the first Vioxx lawsuit in Texas in August (see Nature 436, 1070; 2005). Its stock increased by 4% to $29.48 on the latest news.

Hiring binge

Samsung says it will employ an extra 26,000 researchers in the next five years as part of its drive to consolidate its position as one of the world's largest electronics firms. Lee Yoon-woo, chief technology officer of the Korean company, said that he would double the research and development workforce to 52,000 as the company moved to secure its expansion into areas such as mobile phones and laptop computers. He made his comments at a jamboree on 3–4 November, held for several hundred financial analysts, to discuss Samsung's expansion plans.

Cash dash

The average total pay package for research and development chiefs of US biotechnology companies jumped by 12% in 2004, according to an analysis conducted by BioWorld Today, a biotechnology newspaper based in Atlanta, Georgia. Vice-presidents of research and development at 145 companies averaged $366,000 in salary plus bonuses, up from $326,000 in 2003. Total pay for chief executives rose 5%, to $596,000, whereas that for chief legal officers at biotech firms dropped a little, to $242,000.