The trial, which started last month in California state court, centered on allegations by plaintiff Jennifer Robbi, who accused Merck of wrongfully promoting Gardasil as safe. She alleged that the drug caused a severe heart condition that left her wheelchair bound.
Attorneys for Ms. Robbi requested the trial delay, citing extensive publicity around Mr. Kennedy’s Senate hearings that could taint the jury.
Merck agreed to reschedule the trial for September with a new jury. In a statement, the company told Bloomberg it, “would provide no financial or other consideration in exchange for the agreement to adjourn.”
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