Pharma company Merck said yesterday that it is the target of a federal grand jury investigation over drug Vioxx. According to Reuters, the probe “involves Merck’s research, marketing and selling activities regarding Vioxx”.

In a letter filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Bruce Kuhlik, Merck’s executive vice president, writes:

The letter we received [from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts] is in connection with an ongoing investigation into Merck’s activities related to VIOXX. This investigation began in 2004, and includes subpoenas for information and documents from the company and for witnesses to appear before a grand jury. The inquiry is continuing, and the letter does not represent a conclusion or resolution in the matter.

Vioxx was pulled from the market in 2004 over side-effects fears and resulted in multiple lawsuits and billions in damages against Merck.

“The empaneling of grand jury was widely-expected, on the VIOXX matter — but it is a criminal inquiry, nonetheless,” says the Shearlings got Plowed blog.