Merck Floats Vioxx Re-Stock

Merck (MRK Quote) has suggested a powerful antidote for its sales sickness.

The company may reverse the biggest drug recall in history. In a surprising announcement late Thursday, a Merck executive hinted that the company may begin reselling Vioxx -- a painkiller that generated billions of dollars in sales -- after yanking it off the market last September due to cardiac risks.

Peter Kim, the company's director of research, said that Merck originally pulled the drug because it thought safer alternatives were available. However, research since the withdrawal has identified similar risks with other so-called Cox-2 inhibitors like two -- Bextra and Celebrex -- manufactured by rival Pfizer (PFE Quote). ...